Overworked and Underpaid
by Selvanic
Summary: Kabuto is sick of doing everything and not getting the recognition he deserves. Orochimaru has something different in mind for Kabuto's raise. Fic dedicated to AngeloftheOdd. OroKabu YAOI
1. Chapter 1

_HAHAHAHA!! My first OroKabu story that shall span a decent amount of time!! In other words it shall be longer than one or two chapters. And it is dedicated to _**AngeloftheOdd**_!!! Happy Birthday, hun!! (I know I'm a day early, but I can't guarantee that I'll have the time tomorrow to post it.) This -whole- story's for you!! I apologize that I only managed to get the first chapter done, but it seems university has caught up to me...finally. BUT YES! This one's for you!! _

_Anyway, all that good ol' copyright stuff applies. In other words, characters aren't mine, storyline is. I would appreciate being asked before anyone uses this anywhere else (if it is used anywhere else...I dunno). Or, if you -don't- ask me, at least credit me. Because I -will- find it. I don't have a life outside my laptop, so there's no doubt that I shall eventually come across it. Yeah...I'm really brain dead right now. Sorry..._

_Rated M for later chapters!! Right now? Umm...nothin'. HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGAIN to my lovely partner in crime!!!_

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Kabuto Yakushi dragged his tired body down into the Sound's latest location. Everything hurt. He'd exhausted the majority of his chakra reserve defending himself from the ambush he'd encountered in Grass country, rationing the rest of it as best he could to heal the wounds he'd sustained. But now he was back and he wanted nothing more than to sleep. For the past two weeks it had been non-stop work for the platinum haired surgeon, everything from formal paperwork to new experiments to field missions "only he could do". He'd be damned if he let anyone keep him from his goal of rest this time around.

Stumbling down the dimly lit hallways, the oto'nin finally made it to his own personal chambers, barely mustering the state of mind to kick his door shut behind him. Kabuto's body was beginning to slow down now that he was surrounded by familiar objects, his adrenaline gradually wearing off. To Hell with getting changed; he could clean himself up in the morning. He collapsed in a heap on his small bed, filth and all. However, as his face hit the bed, the boy flinched. Before he could allow himself the blissful release of unconsciousness, Kabuto propped himself up and removed his glasses which had painfully dug into the bridge of his nose. Setting them aside, he made a quick mental note to ask Orochimaru for contact lenses sometime in the future.

There was no way of knowing exactly how long he'd been out, but the medic was positive that it was far from long enough. His body protested every move Kabuto made in his attempts to escape that which had interrupted his rest. What this disruption was, exactly, he didn't know, nor did he care. He just wanted to sleep. He hadn't even restored all his chakra yet.

"Kabuto, get up."

The smooth, dark voice that issued the command was one Kabuto knew well, but his slumbering brain could not yet accurately place it. On his back, he felt a warm hand applying pressure in an attempt to wake him, pressing down harder with each passing second. Grumbling incoherently, the surgeon batted irritably at the invasive and persistent hand. Why couldn't this person just leave him alone? Could they not take a hint?

"I'm going to give you one, last, chance. Get. Up. NOW." With the words spaced and emphasized the way they were, Kabuto's mind was able to identify the speaker. And it was _not_ a pleasant discovery.

Oh shit!! It was Orochimaru standing above him! Why didn't he realize it sooner?! Flailing slightly, Kabuto sat up as quickly as he could, causing the older man to take several swift steps backwards. The oto'nin could feel the heat on his face, embarrassed at having had his master come to wake him. He'd _never_ failed to wake before Orochimaru. He had to explain himself.

Raking some of his dirty hair out of his face, Kabuto bowed his head apologetically. "L-lord Orochimaru, I apologize for my appearance and rather rude responses, but I had quite the run with that task you gave me yesterday. If it's not too much to ask, I'd like to sleep another several hours before undertaking anything else."

Orochimaru scoffed unsympathetically. "No such luck, Kabuto. Did you forget _why_ you had to get back by today?" His tone was flat and unfeeling. Clearly, the leader of Sound did not like being the one making the wake-up calls.

The surgeon rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand, sight bleary from having just woken up and the lack of his glasses. His mind was working its fastest to try and remember what it was Orochimaru was alluding to, but he couldn't quite place his finger on it. Moreover, the look on his master's face dictated that he'd best find that answer soon.

"The…um…discussions with the surrounding village leaders, my lord?" Kabuto flashed a shy smile in an endeavor to placate the snake lord. It didn't work.

"Yes," Orochimaru snarled impatiently, "And we have precious little time before that meeting is set to happen. Both of us have to be there, Kabuto, and I will _not _be seen with you in such a pitiful condition." As if to accentuate his point, the older man took hold of Kabuto's face, scrutinizing every inch. "Get yourself cleaned up."

Nodding slowly, Kabuto turned his body, planting his feet on the solid stone floor. However, as he attempted to stand, the boy's head swam and he almost immediately fell back. He was still drained from the previous evening's strenuous tasks, and his body had not yet managed to recover all of its chakra. There was no way he would be able to recover fully before the meeting.

Orochimaru stared at his personal medic, far from happy with the rather contemptible performance. "Well? What are you waiting for? I thought I told you we don't have all day."

"I apologize, my lord," Kabuto answered honestly, "But my body still seems to be worn down, and hasn't had the time to recover properly just yet. If I could just come in later…"

The San'nin rose a silencing hand, cutting Kabuto short. "If you come in late, Kabuto, do you know how that will reflect on me?" Orochimaru's smooth voice was laced with venomous anger, something Kabuto knew to be a sure sign of potential violence. "You are _my_ right hand man, Kabuto, not the other way around. If anything, you should arrive before me. Now. Get. UP!"

Kabuto flinched at Orochimaru's muted fury and made another attempt at standing. Once again, his body buckled underneath him, causing the silver haired medic to have to take a seat once again. He sighed heavily, replying calmly, "I'm sorry, Lord Orochimaru, but I just can't. You'll have to go without my company. Why don't you take someone else? I should be completely refreshed by the afternoon."

Apparently, Kabuto's was not an acceptable answer. Orochimaru leaned over, grabbing Kabuto by the front of the shirt and dragging him off of the bed. The younger man stumbled to try and stay upright, crumpling against his master's solid body. Orochimaru didn't even pause. Without even looking at Kabuto, he dragged the boy along behind him, making his way to his own personal chambers and the attached, private, bathroom.

"Wh-what are you doing, Lord Orochimaru?" Kabuto stammered, face flushed and hands gripping the snake manipulator's shirt to maintain a semi-standing position.

"If you can't clean yourself, Kabuto, I'll have to do it."

The answer was spoken so calmly, so matter-of-factly, that Kabuto had to take a moment to fully understand the implications. And when he did, he attempted to get away. "N-no, Lord Orochimaru, I'm fine! Really! Isn't there _anyone_ else you can take with you?"

Untying Kabuto's headband and dropping it to the floor, the San'nin shrugged elegantly. "Perhaps," he mused, "But none who could properly represent my power and influence the way you could. Now stop squirming; you're making this much more difficult then it has to be."

Kabuto bit his lip and did as he was told, still forced to lean heavily against Orochimaru. Those long, pale, fingers made short work of Kabuto's filthy clothes, tossing them in a heap to one side. The last thing to go was the surgeon's hair elastic, releasing the dirty locks to fall around his face. With one arm wrapped around the boy's waist, Orochimaru turned his shower on, testing the temperature with his free hand. All the while, Kabuto hid his face behind his platinum hair. He knew he was blushing, he could feel it. But if Orochimaru were to know…there'd be no end to his humiliation. His master didn't see him that way, and Kabuto repeatedly told himself that he didn't see his merciless leader that way either. And yet, there was something undeniably thrilling about being bared so completely to the powerful man.

"Kabuto, lean against the wall here. I need to get out of my own clothes." The statement was presented with the same calm and offhanded demeanor as everything else the San'nin had said since they'd arrived in his room, and it was beginning to unnerve the medic. How could the older man be so casual about this? It's not like they were discussing the weather, or even their latest live test subject! They were about to _shower_ together, damn it!

Sighing shakily, Kabuto did as he was told, focusing as best he could on regaining all the chakra he'd lost. But now there was the problem of his nerves, on top of his exhaustion. The idea that his master was stripping bare just behind him was not helping his abilities to stand. If anything, his knees felt even weaker than before. No! He had to focus. Closing his eyes, Kabuto forced several deep breaths to clear his mind. He slowed his racing mind and heart, repeating like a mantra that this encounter was strictly professional.

Just as he'd managed to calm himself, however, Orochimaru snaked an arm around the boy's waist once again, nonchalantly leading the oto'nin into the shower alongside him. Kabuto flinched instinctively as the water hit his sore body, washing over some of the cuts that hadn't fully healed just yet. He shivered in spite of the water's warmth. Nonetheless, due to his master's supporting grip, he stayed standing even as his body cringed away.

Orochimaru disentangled one arm from his subordinate's waist, running his hand through the younger man's hair, tugging none too gently at the knots he encountered. "You really ought to wash your hair more often, Kabuto," the snake lord scoffed in a reprimanding tone, "This is just pitiful."

"My apologies again, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto muttered, wincing slightly as the raven haired man tugged at his hair. "I'll see to it that I clean it properly this time around." The oto'nin did his best to bite back the cynicism in his response. It wasn't _his_ fault his hair was so awful. It was Orochimaru's! The tyrannical San'nin didn't give him a break.

The leader of the Sound either chose to ignore the other's tone, or simply didn't catch it. Whatever the case, Orochimaru picked up the bottle of shampoo and handed it to Kabuto. At the same time, he also retrieved the bar of soap, bringing it up to clean the boy's shoulders. "We have very little time," Orochimaru explained as his personal medic tensed under the attention. "I'm not going to simply stand here and hold you up. I'd be surprised if we made it even now."

Kabuto closed his eyes and tried not to think about his master's hand gliding over his body. Instead he distracted himself by focusing on washing his hair, his own hands trembling horribly as he began the process. His fingers worked the soap into the mass of platinum locks, ensuring even distribution as his perfectionist habits dictated. Unfortunately, Kabuto could only drag out washing his hair for so long, and he was soon forced back to the reality of his master - a man he had sworn his life to - carefully washing every inch of his body.

"I-I think I've been sufficiently cleaned, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto stammered awkwardly. Anything to kill the painful silence.

"I'll be the judge of that, Kabuto. It's not _your_ reputation on the line." Setting the soap aside, Orochimaru took hold of Kabuto's shoulders and turned the boy around to face him.

Instinctively, Kabuto closed his eyes, his whole body tensing. This was ridiculous! He was a doctor for God's sake! He should be perfectly fine looking at the human body; it's not like Orochimaru had something he didn't. However, as Kabuto finally convinced himself to look, he realized how very wrong he was. The man was a _God_! There wasn't a flaw to be seen on the San'nin's body. How had Kabuto not _seen_ this before? Lord only knew how many medical exams he'd performed, how many routine check ups. But, then, those were never conducted in the shower, never slicking that gorgeous raven hair to Orochimaru's perfectly sculpted porcelain body in breathtaking contrast. Those eyes of liquid amber stared uninterestedly at the boy, assessing the medic's appearance. Kabuto's face flushed deeply and he could feel his heart pounding against his chest. His master was the definition of magnificence.

Orochimaru took Kabuto's face in his right hand, tilting it from side to side, humming soft approval under his breath. "Yes, I suppose you are clean enough for the time being," the leader of the Sound muttered, "Now all that's left is to make sure you can walk in on your own." With that, Orochimaru took hold of Kabuto's waist again, reaching around the surgeon to turn the shower off and escorting the other out.

As the cold air of their underground home brushed against Kabuto's body, he shivered and impulsively curled in closer to Orochimaru's. The older man laughed derisively to himself, keeping his medic attached to him as he leaned over to pick up one of the bathroom's many cotton towels. He then tossed it casually on Kabuto's head, using his long fingers to begin roughly drying his right hand man's hair. Kabuto flinched at his master's almost careless motions. Could the man be gentle with _anything_?

"Lord Orochimaru, I'd really appreciate it if I could cover myself with something. It's quite cold in here." The platinum haired man winced again as some of his hair was caught painfully in the pinch of the towel's movement. "And would it kill you to be a little softer?"

Chuckling, Orochimaru pulled harder at the other's hair, clearly disregarding the suggestion on purpose. "Well, it seems your intolerable attitude has returned in full," the San'nin sneered, "Now what if I do this?" Orochimaru then released Kabuto, taking a step backwards to leave the surgeon standing unassisted.

Kabuto gasped sharply, his legs trembling at the lack of support. He stumbled slightly, catching himself before he collapsed entirely on the floor and shot a withering look in Orochimaru's direction. Now the man was just trying to humiliate him. There was no way he would let that happen, not after he'd already been submitted to an abetted shower. Kabuto slowed his breathing, calming his frayed nerves and allowing his chakra to flow at a normal pace. Gradually, he righted himself entirely, donning a superior smirk as he did. So much for Orochimaru's little game.

"Not bad, Kabuto," the snake manipulator conceded, wrapping a towel around his own tapered waist, "Just remember to keep that attitude in check when we're dealing with our guests." Casually, he tossed another of the large white cloths at Kabuto. "Dry yourself off and get dressed. We're already late."

The oto'nin shook his head but did as he was told. Orochimaru always took that tone with him when politics were involved. It was clear the San'nin didn't like dealing with the small time village leaders, and Kabuto couldn't blame him. Usually, they were older, balding, men who had it in their pitiful minds that they held more power than they actually did. And this led to the fools being arrogant windbags expecting Orochimaru to bend to their wills. Luckily, both Orochimaru and Kabuto were skilled at manipulating their words and, in turn, the minds of others. Unfortunately, that didn't make the experience any more pleasant for either man.

Toweling himself off as best he could, Kabuto looked around the bathroom before turning his attention back to Orochimaru. "I hate to be a bother, Lord Orochimaru, but just what am I supposed to wear? You didn't exactly give me the time to retrieve clean clothes this morning." Sometimes the surgeon found himself wondering if the leader of the Sound ever thought _anything_ through.

Orochimaru glanced around himself as he pulled his own clothes back on. Offhandedly flipping his long raven hair out to sit properly on his shoulders, the older man regarded Kabuto uninterestedly. "I suppose I could lend you something of mine," he muttered almost more to himself than his subordinate, "You aren't _that_ much shorter than me."

"And just what of your's am I going to wear?" Kabuto retorted, tightening the towel around his waist. "It would be just as effective if you simply let me return to my room and dress myself in my _own_ clothing."

"Watch your tone, Kabuto. Or I may just take you to our meeting as you are now." Clearly, Orochimaru was only willing to put up with so much of Kabuto's snide remarks this morning, but was not beyond joking just yet. It was comforting to know the San'nin wasn't _too_ upset with the medic. Flippantly tossing his used towel into the pile of discarded clothing, Orochimaru added, "Now stay here while I grab you something to wear."

Kabuto sighed resignedly. There was no arguing with his master some days. As he watched the older man step out, the oto'nin leaned back against the cold countertop of Orochimaru's sink. This had been, by far, the oddest morning of his decade of service under the San'nin. He couldn't get the image of Orochimaru's perfection out of his mind's eye, nor could he understand how the man could have been so nonchalant about the whole thing. It was true that he and Orochimaru were far from the simple 'master and servant' dynamic that everyone seemed to think they were, but they weren't necessarily 'equals' either. And their relationship certainly wasn't one that would allude to showering together. At least that's what Kabuto had understood until this morning. However, Orochimaru had been impatient, and if the medic knew one thing about the older man, it was that he had a tendency to do whatever was necessary to get what he wanted, when he wanted it.

Slipping back into the bathroom, Orochimaru held out a fist full of his old Jounin clothes from his time during the Chunin exam. "These should fit you, Kabuto," he said flatly, "Now hurry up. We were supposed to be there almost five minutes ago."

The younger man took the outfit gingerly from his master, eyeing it skeptically. "You want me to dress like some sort of generic Jounin? I thought I was supposed to be representing you, my lord."

"You are. Which is why I'd rather you appeared in front of our 'guests' fully clothed." Orochimaru smiled mockingly, eyeing Kabuto over. "Although I have to admit you don't look half bad in nothing but a towel."

Kabuto flushed and nearly dropped the clothes he'd been given. "E-excuse me? I don't think that's really appropriate, Lord Orochimaru." The surgeon tried desperately to calm his nerves and slow his heart rate. Orochimaru had said odd things before, but that was too much.

Laughing, Orochimaru waved off his medic's indignation. "Calm down, Kabuto. I'm just kidding. Now get dressed. We've wasted enough time with your pitiful morning habits as it is."

Once again, Orochimaru had managed to make the whole thing Kabuto's fault. Wonderful. Pulling on the clothes he'd been given, Kabuto ran his fingers quickly through his damp hair to work out what knots he could before tying it back as usual. He had to admit, he didn't look half bad.

The San'nin clearly wasn't willing to allow Kabuto the time to analyze his appearance, as he hooked his arm with the medic's and began walking briskly down the hall, the younger man stumbling to regain his bearings. He still didn't have his glasses, the lenses having been left on his nightstand table in his room, and he didn't like the idea of not being able to see these minor lords' faces. He'd only seen Orochimaru so well because they'd been so close together. Somehow, Kabuto doubted he'd be allowed to get so close to these representatives.

However, before Kabuto could get a word in about his current state of impairment, Orochimaru had already thrown the doors to the meeting room open, smoothly swinging Kabuto in front of him so as to precede him into the room. The oto'nin staggered slightly, swiftly righting himself and smiling with his trademark arrogance. He had to make the first impression, a job that had become his alone since the clash he and his master had suffered against the other two San'nin. And that meant not letting on that all he could see of the four other men were coloured blurs.

Orochimaru walked in confidently, Kabuto stepping to the right to add to his master's entrance. The small chatter that had begun circulating with the medic's unannounced entry ceased as the leader of the Sound stepped in, slowly and gracefully taking his seat at the head of the table. And so began the song and dance Orochimaru called 'negotiation'.

Kabuto stood at Orochimaru's side, watching on in subtle awe as the snake lord talked circles around the foolish old men. He drew them in with his falsely sweet tone and soft laughter, stringing them along the path he wanted them to walk whilst they all thought they were leading him. The oto'nin had always admired this talent of Orochimaru's, this ability to manipulate people into doing what he wanted while convincing them it was what _they_ wanted. Some days, he couldn't help but wonder if perhaps the man had done that to him. Others, he thought that maybe he'd managed to do it to Orochimaru, and it brought a faint smile to his face. The game of control between them had become one that both were all too familiar with.

Two hours of delegation ticked by, the medic shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he patiently waited for Orochimaru to bring it all to an end. With one fluid motion, the raven haired man did just that, offering a rehearsed closing statement before getting effortlessly to his feet. His golden eyes met Kabuto's sable one's, wordlessly dictating that the boy once again precede him. Offering a low, humbled, bow as his own silent farewell, Kabuto moved easily to the door, opening it for the San'nin and falling into step just behind the older man. It was an odd habit of Orochimaru's, to leave before his guests. And yet it always had the desired effect, and Orochimaru always got what he wanted.

"I think that went over fairly well," the pale man offered over his shoulder. "What about you, Kabuto? Do you see any problems arising from this?"

Kabuto shook his head. "None whatsoever, my lord. You handled that perfectly. I highly doubt any of them will come to conflict with us." He went to habitually adjust his glasses, only to lay his long fingers on the bridge of his nose. Right…that's why Orochimaru seemed a tad blurrier than usual.

Chuckling lightly, Orochimaru shrugged and replied smugly, "These encounters get easier every time, Kabuto. And if you continue to accompany me, it won't be long before I can send you in on your own. You yourself have quite the way with words."

The platinum haired man smiled at the casually directed compliment. At least this time around, his merciless leader had stepped out of the room in a good mood. "I'm flattered, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto returned, "But if you're no longer in need of my presence, I would very much like to put my _own_ clothes on. And my glasses as well."

Orochimaru paused and turned around to face Kabuto, eyeing the boy from head to toe. "I thought you looked different this morning," he muttered almost more to himself than the medic, "Why didn't you say something? I bet you don't even know what those men _look_ like now."

"Well you didn't exactly give me a chance, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto retaliated. "In fact, if I recall correctly, you had insisted that my returning to my room would waste too much time."

Frowning deeply at the other's tone, the San'nin walked up to stand just shy of the boy, closing the gap between them with little more than a single stride. "I wouldn't have had to say that if you hadn't slept in, Kabuto. Don't try to blame me for _your_ shortcomings." Orochimaru stared threateningly down at his right hand man, serpentine eyes locking with unwavering dark ones. "Now go get your glasses and report back to me. I have _quite_ a bit of work for you today."

"_My _shortcomings?! I wouldn't have had to 'sleep in' if you hadn't sent me on that ridiculous mission last night! _Any_ Jounin could have done that! I swear you take pleasure in overworking me the way you do!" Kabuto bit off the rest of his words, swiftly shutting his mouth. He hadn't meant to react like that. He'd meant to keep that all to himself. But he was still tired, and fed up with being blamed for things that weren't even entirely his fault.

Orochimaru was clearly taken aback by Kabuto's uncharacteristic outburst, pulling away slightly and regarding the boy with mild confusion. Tense silence stretched on between the two for an immeasurable moment, every second dragging on like hours. Finally, softly, Orochimaru began to laugh, a low inaudible chuckle at first, gradually swelling to whole-hearted mirth that echoed down the stone halls. The sound sent shivers down Kabuto's spine, the medic shuddering in spite of himself.

"Overworking you, Kabuto?" Orochimaru teased as his laughter trailed off, "Are you trying to tell me that you can't handle it? That perhaps I should reconsider just what I let you do?"

Giving a soft sigh of relief, Kabuto shook his head, absently rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and middle finger. "No, Lord Orochimaru. That's not what I meant," he replied calmly, "I'm just saying that I'd _prefer_ it if you gave me tasks that fit my position. You have plenty of lower ranked ninjas in your employ, my lord, and I would like it if you used them instead of me on occasion."

The older man's broad smile remained fixed on his face as he turned away from the other and started back down the hall. "I suppose I can do that, Kabuto. After all, you asked me _so_ nicely, didn't you?" He waved offhandedly over his shoulder, wordlessly dismissing Kabuto from his presence.

Something had Orochimaru in a good mood, and the platinum haired medic thanked whatever God there was for it. It wasn't often that Kabuto could get away with talking that way to the San'nin, and it was an even rarer occurrence that Orochimaru simply waved it off and joked about it himself. Perhaps the day wasn't a total loss. With any luck, he'd have time to visit his lab before the day was out.

Kabuto made his way down the long, dark, halls by memory alone, his vision being of very little use to him at the moment. His soft footfalls were the only sound, preceding him with their faint echoes. The silence was oddly comforting, wrapping around the oto'nin like a peaceful blanket. Maybe he'd just steal that extra hour of sleep he'd wanted before reporting to Orochimaru.

However, as the young man reached his room, he could hear something just beyond his door. Someone was in _his_ room. Cautiously, Kabuto took hold of the doorknob, inching it open slowly so he could peer around and see just who the invader was before doing anything rash. When he saw just who it was, though, all of Kabuto's discretion went out the window, the medic throwing his own door open furiously.

"Sasuke!! Get OUT!!"

The Uchiha turned around and looked at the irate surgeon with outright boredom. "Nice outfit," Sasuke snorted cynically, "You forget to do your own laundry?"

Fists clenching tightly at his sides, Kabuto snarled with forced patience, "How I dress is none of your concern, Sasuke-kun. Now _get out_." It was no secret that Kabuto despised the punk Uchiha in his life. Had it not been for Orochimaru's interest in the boy, the medic would have killed him long ago. And Sasuke knew it, using the information as leverage to push the surgeon around and do whatever he felt like. Today, though, Kabuto would have none of it.

"And just what are you going to do to me? I'll leave when I feel like leaving." The insufferable boy turned around again, resuming his tearing apart of Kabuto's room.

That was it! Storming up behind the boy, Kabuto took a fist full of Sasuke's hair and dragged him towards the door kicking and screaming. He then threw the boy out callously, smiling darkly as the Uchiha landed on the cold stone floor with a dull 'thump'.

"If I catch you in my room again, Sasuke-kun, I won't be quite so friendly on seeing you out," the oto'nin sneered mockingly before slamming his door in the stunned boy's face. He then promptly collapsed on his bed, screaming in frustration into his pillow. He did _not_ get paid enough.

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_To be entirely honest with you all, I'm not even sure Kabuto gets paid -at all-. Huh...just a thought. Please review!! _


	2. Chapter 2

_CHECK IT OUT!!! I actually got the second chapter done. I've been working on this -nonstop- since chapter one was met with such praise. A little bit every day and look what I can accomplish, ne? I'm not a total wreck when it comes to writing. Conversely, I'm a little shaky about this one. I'm not sure if it came out as well as I'd hoped, but then I'm pretty happy with it. I'm actually having a -lot- of fun with this story. Perhaps too much. NAH! Can't have too much fun with a fanfic._

_Anyway, here's hoping you all enjoy chapter two as much as you seemed to enjoy chapter one. Especially you, luv. XD You know who you are. _

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Kabuto woke up, sitting up to rub sleepily at his eyes. He hadn't even realized that he'd passed out. Offhandedly running his hand through his messy platinum bangs, Kabuto reached out and put his glasses on. He had no idea what time it was, or how long he'd been out. However, he felt better overall. Nothing hurt, his temper felt more controlled, and as he got to his feet, he felt no weakness whatsoever. Wandering over to his wardrobe, he changed his clothes appropriately, feeling much more comfortable in his _own_ clothes. Kabuto smiled to himself. Only he could recover with nothing more than a little bit of rest.

And then he remembered that he was supposed to have met with Orochimaru. The colour drained from the medic's face, and he dashed out of his room, skidding slightly on the stone floors as he made his way to his master's chambers. It took him very little time to make it to the ornate wooden doors, but the oto'nin stilled his hand as he moved to knock. He _still_ had no idea what time it was. For all he knew, Orochimaru was sound asleep, dreaming up ways to punish the ignorant surgeon for blowing him off. But things would only be worse if Kabuto failed to demonstrate that he'd even remembered.

Swallowing his hesitation, Kabuto knocked lightly at the door. "Lord Orochimaru? I apologize for my tardiness, but I fell asleep." He paused in his speech, listening for any subtle movement behind the doors. There was nothing. "Are you there, Lord Orochimaru?"

"I'm right here, Kabuto." Orochimaru's cold, smooth, voice washed over Kabuto from behind, causing the young man to start slightly. Before the boy had a chance to turn around and face the San'nin, a slender porcelain hand clasped Kabuto's shoulder, holding him in place. "Do you _know_ how late you are, Kabuto?"

The oto'nin in question shook his head slowly, staring at the door in front of him. Taking a deep breath, he answered calmly, "No, unfortunately, I do not know how late I am. However, I _do_ understand that I'm late, and for that I apologize, my lord. Nonetheless, I can't help but remind you that I had clearly outlined my need for extra sleep today."

"Do you really have the right to cock that attitude with me right now?" Orochimaru retaliated, "You make me wait for you for _four_ hours and expect me to just forgive you because you were tired?"

Kabuto flinched as the hand on his shoulder tightened painfully. Maintaining a level tone of voice, Kabuto picked his words carefully so as not to incite more violent reactions from his leader. "I didn't mean for that to happen, Lord Orochimaru. You know I would never intentionally put my needs before your's. However, I can only push my body so far and it would seem I reached that limit days ago."

A soft, exasperated sigh met Kabuto's words, the slender hand slipping away and allowing Kabuto to turn and properly face his master. Orochimaru looked tired, frighteningly so. His shoulders had dropped, his once vibrant golden eyes almost listless as he met Kabuto's concerned stare. It was such a drastic change from the last time Kabuto had seen him that the medic instinctively stepped closer, placing a hand on the other's cool forehead.

"Are you feeling alright, Lord Orochimaru? You look exhausted." Kabuto was genuinely concerned for the San'nin's health. It wasn't normal for anyone to fall so hard in only four hours.

Irritably brushing Kabuto's hand away, the man in question attempted to level an aggravated stare at the other. "I'm _fine_, Kabuto. I'm just feeling a little tired right now. I just spent the past hour and a half dealing with a less than pleasant Sasuke-kun." Straightening himself, Orochimaru stared accusingly down at his personal medic. "What did you do to him?"

Kabuto smiled in spite of his better judgment, habitually adjusting his glasses and answering smoothly, "I just saw him out of my room, Lord Orochimaru. He shouldn't have been there in the first place, and I think I was rather civil about it. Why? Was he upset?"

"To say that Sasuke-kun was 'upset' would be the biggest understatement I've heard in a very long time, Kabuto, so you'll forgive me when I doubt your supposed civility." Stepping around the younger man, Orochimaru opened his door and slid into his room, motioning over his shoulder for Kabuto to follow. He then took a seat on the edge of his bed, once again making eye contact with his subordinate. "Kabuto, you really should know better by now. You _know_ a fair bit of…patience is required when dealing with Sasuke-kun."

The medic scoffed and crossed his arms. "I've used up the last of my patience with him, my lord," Kabuto defended himself, "If he wants to mock me and belittle me on his own time, fine. I'll even tolerate his attitude outside of Otogakure. But in my room? No, that's one step too far. You know I already endure his intolerable presence in my lab."

Orochimaru sighed and nodded reluctantly, bringing his right hand up to worry his forehead. "Yes, I suppose you have done quite a bit for Sasuke-kun. I really shouldn't be blaming _you_ for his mood. The boy seems to thrive on acting the way he does."

"I appreciate your understanding, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto smiled, walking to stand in front of his surprisingly worn out leader, "But if he's causing you so much grief, you have to wonder if he's worth it. There must be _some_ other vessel you could choose."

Anger flashed dangerously in the snake lord's eyes, the older man's body tensing at the surgeon's casually uttered statement. He growled low in his throat, snarling through his teeth, "You want me to give up the Sharingan simply because he wears on our nerves, Kabuto? What kind of pitiful fool do you take me for? There is very little I wouldn't do for that power, and you have to understand that, _boy_. If I hear you speak so flippantly of giving it up again, I will not hesitate to teach you your place."

Kabuto took a step backwards, surprised by Orochimaru's venomous tone. He hung his head and mumbled his understanding, bowing deeply. He kept forgetting that Sasuke often took precedence over him. "I-I'm sorry, Lord Orochimaru. I hadn't meant any offense." Quietly, the oto'nin raised his eyes and offered an apologetic smile before he turned to the door. "I'll…see myself out then."

"I don't remember saying you could leave, Kabuto." The older man's silken voice had calmed significantly, all traces of malice having vanished as if they'd never been voiced in the first place. If anything, it sounded like the leader of the Sound was teasing the surgeon.

Turning around almost to quickly, Kabuto stared at his master in mild confusion. He never _could_ follow the older man's mood swings. "Forgive my ignorance, my lord, but I'm not sure I understand why I can't leave. Is there something you needed?"

The San'nin got smoothly to his feet, walking over to take Kabuto by the arm, leading the younger man to the large wooden desk against the far wall. He then moved his hands to Kabuto's shoulders, gently guiding the medic into the chair by applying soft pressure. Once his right hand man was situated where he wanted him, Orochimaru leaned in, whispering next to Kabuto's ear, "You can't honestly think I'm going to let you get away with standing me up for four hours, Kabuto. These papers won't complete themselves."

Kabuto blinked stupidly for a moment before laughing outright. "Of course, Lord Orochimaru," he answered as his laughter trailed off, "I'd almost forgotten that you had work for me to complete." Absently shaking his head, Kabuto straightened himself to properly face the daunting pile of papers and picked up the first one, scanning it over with his eyes.

Patting the boy on the back, Orochimaru gave his own soft chuckle as he made his way back over to his large bed. "Do try to be quiet, won't you? I'm going to try and sleep," the raven haired man added, his voice accompanied by the soft sound of fabric hitting the floor and sheets being moved.

"I'll do my best, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto hummed softly, already working on the third piece of paper. He was so absorbed in his work that it took a moment for him to realize that Orochimaru had, for the second time that day, casually stripped off his clothes with Kabuto in the same room. Did the man have _no_ discretion? Sighing heavily, Kabuto shook his head and opted not to think on it. The last thing he needed was to distract himself with the image of Orochimaru's pure perfection and wind up ruining his work.

Hunching over the desk and setting his mind fully on the work he'd been given, Kabuto worked tirelessly, silently thanking himself for stealing the sleep he had. If he'd simply reported to Orochimaru as he'd been expected to, there wasn't a doubt in his mind that he would have fallen asleep on the older man's desk. And lord only knew how that could have ended. But he'd make up for his mistakes and prove to Orochimaru that he was far from incompetent by finishing the entire pile before the older man woke up.

The hours ticked by, the candle by which Kabuto was working slowly burning away to nothing. He rubbed tiredly at his eyes, lighting up a new candle with the dwindling flame of the first. He'd gotten through most of the pile, only a quarter of it still sitting in front of him. However, his eyes were beginning to droop, blurring his vision. Kabuto stifled a yawn as best he could, getting to his feet to stretch his aching body. He made a note to himself never to sit in one place for so long again before slumping back into the stiff chair.

Behind him, the oto'nin heard the soft sounds of Orochimaru stirring and instinctively held his breath. He didn't mean to wake the other man. He should have known better than to move around; Kabuto knew Orochimaru wasn't a heavy sleeper. But the damage had been done, the sound of the older man shifting his weight to sit up all too clear.

Groaning, Orochimaru mumbled with muffled irritation, "Kabuto? You'd better have a damn good reason for waking me up."

"I'm afraid I don't, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto apologized softly, turning around in his chair. His master was little more than a slumped form in the dark, the candlelight beautifully highlighting the edges of the man's flawless pale skin. "And to be quite honest with you, it was never my intention to wake you. You're something of a light sleeper, my lord."

Voice still thick with sleep, the San'nin countered halfheartedly, clearly not quite conscious enough to be upset just yet. "Don't blame this on me, Kabuto. I _told_ you I was going to sleep, and you _know_ I'm a light sleeper." He yawned without hesitation, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. "Get me my robe, would you? I might as well make use of myself if I'm going to be awake."

Kabuto shook his head in mild disbelief, but got to his feet and did what he was told, pulling out one of Orochimaru's many, simpler, robes. Draping it over his arm, the medic then moved to his master's side, offering the garment wordlessly. Kabuto couldn't help but stare as the lithe older man dressed himself, sliding his long arms gracefully into the soft fabric. The oto'nin swallowed dryly and licked his lips involuntarily. God, Orochimaru was _gorgeous_.

Belting the simple robe, the snake lord flipped his long raven hair out to sit on his shoulders and faced Kabuto with a faint smile. "So, just how much work _did_ you get done while I slept?" Orochimaru teased, glancing past Kabuto to the desk.

"I'm nearly done, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto replied, frantically regrouping his thoughts, "I think you'll be pleased with my progress."

The leader of the Sound brushed past his right hand man, reaching the desk and leaning down to examine the work the boy had done. Kabuto was rooted in place, his eyes transfixed by the sight of the faint candlelight playing across the stunning contours of Orochimaru's face. Those unique purple markings framed his master's enthralling golden eyes in perfect contrast. The man's sleek hair fell haphazardly about him, acting as a breathtaking veil. Everything about Orochimaru was exquisite, untouched, perfection.

"…buto? Kabuto! Are you even listening to me?!"

Orochimaru's sharp words snapped Kabuto out of his daze, the heat rising to his face. Oh no. The older man had been talking, and all the medic had done was stare like some hormonal teenage girl. He hadn't caught a word of it. And he knew lying about it would just get him in more trouble.

Smiling sheepishly, Kabuto scratched absently at the back of his head, hoping the San'nin wasn't _too_ upset about his little slip. "I'm sorry, Lord Orochimaru," the platinum haired surgeon apologized, "I didn't…" Kabuto took a deep breath. This part never went over very well. "I wasn't paying attention."

Orochimaru stalked over to stand toe-to-toe with Kabuto, swiftly taking the other's face in his left hand. He stared down at his subordinate, eyeing him critically. A slow smile crept across his face, and the taller man inquired teasingly, "Are you _blushing_, Kabuto?"

"Wh-what?! No!!" Kabuto knew he'd answered too fast, knew that, if anything, his face was even redder than before. But he couldn't _admit_ it. Not to Orochimaru. Not like this!

Leaning in, Orochimaru scolded softly, "I can see that you're lying to me. And I'm a touch disappointed; you're normally much better at lying." He then pressed his forehead against the medic's, maintaining eye contact. "So I suppose the real question is _why_ are you blushing, Kabuto?"

Every word in the surgeon's vocabulary fled his brain, the only thought that remained being his flustered confusion. Since when did Orochimaru get _this_ invasive? Sure, the man had very little respect for personal space, but this was just absurd. His whole body began to tremble as the moments stretched on between them, the feel of Orochimaru's warm breath feathering across his face causing his knees to go weak.

"Well? I'm waiting," Orochimaru purred.

Kabuto swallowed, amazed he was still standing. Clearly his master wanted an answer, and yet he could barely sort out his own thoughts. Shaking all over, the young man stammered weakly, "I-I was…you just…y-you're stunning Lord Orochimaru."

The leader of the Sound chuckled faintly. "Am I now? Well, let's just clear this up so you can get back to work, hmm?"

Before the oto'nin could fully understand the implications of his master's barely audible statement, Orochimaru had covered Kabuto's mouth with his own, licking boldly against his medic's soft lips. Kabuto's body tensed and he took a sharp intake of breath. Orochimaru was…_kissing him_?! However, just as abruptly as it had started, the San'nin broke off, almost callously releasing the boy and taking a step backwards. Kabuto couldn't stop the small sound of protest and disappointment that escaped him at Orochimaru's sudden rejection, but the older man clearly didn't catch it.

"Now, why don't you get back to work?" Orochimaru offered nonchalantly, "The sooner you get through those papers, the sooner I can have you start something else."

The medic was still dazed by the unexpected kiss and absently raised his fingers to his lips. He could swear they were tingling from the experience. But then Orochimaru had addressed him again. Best not to push his luck.

Nodding his head slowly, Kabuto answered mechanically, "Yes. Of course. The papers…"

Orochimaru patted the younger man on the head as he stepped past him and moved towards his door. "Good boy, Kabuto," he commended, "I'll be back for you in a couple of hours. After all, I do have work of my own to get through." With that parting statement, the snake manipulator left Kabuto staring blankly ahead of himself, the sound of the large wooden door closing finally snapping the medic back to reality.

Finally on his own, Kabuto allowed himself to collapse in a heap on the floor. How exactly was _that_ supposed to help him concentrate?! His whole body felt numb and his mind was racing a mile a minute. Orochimaru had kissed him…Orochimaru had _kissed _him…Orochimaru had kissed _him_…Nope. No matter how he said it, it failed to make any sense to the surgeon. Clearly the older man was toying with him, as he toyed with all his subordinates, but that was too much. Orochimaru hadn't even paused; he'd made it seem so easy. Kabuto shook his head furiously. No! This was just another one of the San'nin's sick little games.

"Very funny, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto grumbled to no one as he pulled himself back to his feet, "You can't understand me, so you try to mess with my head. Real clever." Wandering back over to the desk, he flopped unenthusiastically into the chair, taking up the paperwork where he'd left off. Let Orochimaru play his games; Kabuto was _not_ going to become just another pawn. Something he'd be sure to inform the other man of as soon as all the damn papers were done…

The second candle had burned away to half its size by the time Kabuto set aside the final sheet of paper, the medic leaning back and heaving a long sigh of relief. That had been fairly painless. _Why_ Orochimaru refused to do it himself was beyond the young medic. If the man just completed them as they came up, it wouldn't pile up like it did. And it would save them both a lot of time. But, if Kabuto had learned anything about his master, it was that once the man got in his head that he _didn't_ want something, there was no convincing him otherwise.

It then occurred to Kabuto that he hadn't heard from Orochimaru since the man had left him to his own devices. Surely the allotted "couple of hours" had ellapsed. Pulling himself out of the chair, Kabuto stretched and made his way towards the door to the room. However, as he extended his arm to take hold of the handle, the ornate piece of wood swung open violently, Kabuto jumping backwards to keep from taking it to the face.

"Where is he?!" a clearly infuriated Sasuke demanded, locking his furious eyes accusingly on Kabuto. "Where the hell did he go?!"

Kabuto blinked quietly for a moment before pushing his glasses up. "I assume you're asking about Lord Orochimaru," the oto'nin answered placidly, "In which case, I'm not sure where he is. He's clearly not _here_." He narrowed his dark eyes dangerously. "Although I'm curious as to just why _you're_ here. Didn't we have a discussion last night about keeping out of others' rooms?"

Snarling, Sasuke allowed the Sharingan to bleed red as he stared Kabuto down. "I'd hardly call that a discussion, you son of a bitch. You _pulled_ my _hair_."

The medic smiled and tilted his head in mock sympathy. "Oh…I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun. I hadn't meant to hurt your feelings," he sneered condescendingly. He walked in closer to the young Uchiha, asserting his lack of fear.

"Come any closer and I'll rip that smile off your face," the younger boy hissed threateningly, reaching for his kunai pouch. "Now stop playing dumb and tell me where Orochimaru went."

Kabuto sighed and shrugged overdramatically. "I really don't understand your hostility towards me, Sasuke-kun," he lamented with a shake of his head, "I've done nothing but try to help you assimilate here. And as for Lord Orochimaru, I truly don't know where he is. I was just about to look for him myself."

Scoffing, Sasuke looked away as he retorted, "Bullshit. It's no secret that you hate don't like how much attention Orochimaru pays me." He turned his own mocking smile on the medic. "And better yet, _you've_ been made to look after me. So if anything happens to me, it's automatically your fault." The Uchiha then flipped Kabuto off as he turned on his heel and began walking back down the hall, adding over his shoulder, "And if I find the bastard, I'll let him know his wife is looking for him."

The oto'nin held back the urge to throw a knife into the back of the impudent boy's head. Stupid little brat thought he could say whatever the hell he wanted…Kabuto swore under his breath and shook his head. He had bigger things to worry about then Sasuke. Orochimaru's absence for example. It wasn't like the San'nin to just up and leave without at least _hinting_ such motives to Kabuto. And thinking back to the older man's parting words, nothing of the sort had been said. This was not good.

Closing the door behind him as he left, Kabuto glanced down the hall to either side of him. Nothing; not even one of the lesser …that wasn't _too_ surprising, considering a furious Sasuke was prowling the halls. He made his way briskly down the dark halls, glancing in this or that room to no avail. Where could Orochimaru have gone? It's not like there were many places to hide that Kabuto wouldn't find. Even the interrogation of some of the wandering Sound Jounin turned up no results. A handful of them had seen him leave his room, but hadn't bothered to make note of where the man had been going. As most of them made known, following Orochimaru around on their personal time was not a common pastime.

Kabuto's head was already beginning to hurt. Not only was he worn out from that damned pile of paperwork, but he'd had to deal with Sasuke's less than pleasant mood, his emotions were still in an incomprehensible jumble, and now Orochimaru had just up and disappeared. Was there _no one_ else who gave a damn? Some days he hated having the status he did in Otogakure.

Putting his bitter feelings on hold, Kabuto set his mind to simply _finding_ Orochimaru and making sure the man was alright before he beat the man senseless for making him worry. The medic wandered outside and was surprised to see the sun just barely rising over the horizon, bleeding the sky a brilliant mixture of reds and yellows. Kabuto took a pause to drink the sight in. It was a rare occurrence, these fleeting moments of peace, and he'd be damned if he let one precious second slip by him.

"Enjoying the view, Kabuto?" an all too familiar silken voice purred from behind him, a slender hand sliding down his face and throat. Damn! How hadn't he heard or sensed Orochimaru coming?

The oto'nin kept his cool, maintaining a level tone of voice as he replied, "Yes, I am actually. Although what I'd _planned_ on doing was finding you." He turned around to face the older man accusingly. "Just where did you go? Sasuke-kun's angrier than usual."

Smiling, Orochimaru offhandedly tossed his hair over his shoulder, some of it having slipped forward when he'd leaned in to talk to Kabuto. "That's why I left, Kabuto. I didn't need Sasuke-kun whining to me already. Why? Were you worried about me?" There was a mocking lilt to the San'nin's voice, and Kabuto was getting sick of hearing it.

"Not particularly, Lord Orochimaru," he retaliated with his own subtle ridicule, "Should I have been?"

Cocking his head to one side, Orochimaru laughed at his subrodinate's bold words, smile widening predatorily. Stepping in closer, the snake lord leaned in to whisper next to Kabuto's ear. "So then just why _were_ you looking for me, Kabuto? I doubt Sasuke-kun is the only reason. Perhaps you missed me?"

Kabuto held his ground solidly. No! He would _not_ cave this time. Orochimaru was using what had happened earlier as leverage, hoping that Kabuto would be as hormonally vulnerable as he had been before. But the surgeon would be damned if he submitted himself to that kind of humiliation twice in the same day.

Taking a deep, calming breath, Kabuto corrected, "Nothing of the sort, Lord Orochimaru. I simply wanted to tell you that I'd completed my task. All of your papers are finished and sorted appropriately."

Orochimaru pulled away, the expression on his face clearly less than amused. All humor in his voice had disspitated as he said flatly, "Ah. I see. Well then, now that you've told me, feel free to take your leave. I've no further use for you."

No further use?! Kabuto was taken aback by the callously offered statement. Since when did Orochimaru "have no further use" for him?! There was _always_ something for the medic to do. Earlier today the snake manipulator had alluded to some second task after the papers had been completed. Well…maybe not _exactly_, but usually when the man said anything about having his own work to complete, that meant that _some_ of it would be pawned off on Kabuto. That Orochimaru was simply dismissing him…just didn't make any sense.

His confidence slipping somewhat, Kabuto pressed, "Nothing at all, my lord? You're just…done for the day?"

"Oh, _I'm _hardly finished, Kabuto. But you are." The darker haired man topped the cold notion off with a brisk wave of his hand as he brushed past the medic. "Now run along. There's nothing for you here."

Was this another one of Orochimaru's sick games of cat and mouse or was there something else going on? It was so unlike Orochimaru to simply write the oto'nin off, and Kabuto didn't like the uneasy feeling that accompanied being given time off by his merciless leader. Cursing his lack of conviction, Kabuto went after Orochimaru, reaching out to grab the other man's retreating shoulder.

Staring at his feet as the San'nin glanced back at him, Kabuto muttered noncommittally, "Ok, so maybe I was a little worried. But only because you don't usually fail to mention when you're going out or for how long."

"Are you saying that _I_ have to report to _you_, Kabuto?" Orochimaru asked impersonally, rounding on the medic.

Kabuto shook his head adamantly. Great, his poor choice of words had gotten him in trouble…again. "No, nothing like that, Lord Orochimaru," he amended, bowing his head in a show of subordination he knew his master enjoyed, "I suppose I was just saying that I'm a creature of habit."

A short, derisive laugh met Kabuto's words. Taking hold of Kabuto's face, Orochimaru forced eye contact, his broad, sadistic smile back in place. "And just what does this confession of your's have to do with anything, Kabuto? I still don't think I have any use for you here."

"There must be _something_ you're witholding from me, Lord Orochimaru, something you're planning to spring on me later when I'm busy with a task of my own. I'd just rather you told me _now_ so I could have my evening to myself." Kabuto refused to let the matter go. He got the most work done in his lab during the long, quiet, nights. During the day, as it was now, he would be pestered to no end by various other ninjas of the Sound village, occasionally watched by aspiring medics. And none of that allowed him to do all that he _wanted_ to do. There were some experiments best conducted in private.

Orochimaru cocked his head and licked his lips, taking another half step closer to the medic so that their bodies were mere inches apart from one another. Clearly, Orochimaru was taking advantage of the morning's rather embarassing event, using Kabuto's new found 'weakness' as leverage. The man would use _anything_ he could to get a leg up on his opponents, especially those of them that worked for him.

Leaning forward to whisper against the other's ear, Orochimaru purred, "Why so desperate, Kabuto? I've never heard you _beg_ me for work, before."

The oto'nin gave an unintentional whimper, wanting to draw away but knew a retreat would simply fuel his master's already blazing confidence. He fought down his base instincts and held his ground, commending himself as he managed to maintain his subtle arrogance. "I'm not _begging _you, Lord Orochimaru. Simply saving time for both of us. If you simply give me the work now, neither of us will be bothered by trying to find the other later."

"Clever, Kabuto. But perhaps I _want_ you to come look for me later, hmm?"

Kabuto's face lit up uncontrolably. What the hell was Orochimaru talking about?! But before the medic could back away and pose such a question, the older man had, for the second time in eight hours, pressed his mouth to Kabuto's, this time forcibly sliding that sinfully long tongue into the surgeon's mouth. The oto'nin tensed, but let out an uncontrolled moan, arching into his master's body. He knew he was just playing into Orochimaru's hand, but his mind couldn't seem to process any other response. Maybe he'd be able to talk about a pay raise if this kind of thing kept up.

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_I would like to thank, once again, all of you who were so kind as to review my first chapter. You're all so nice to me~! So if you wouldn't mind, I would like to hear some feedback on chapter two as well. =D I appreciate -all- comments, be them positive or negative. After all, can't improve if no one points it out. _


	3. Chapter 3

_CHAPTER 3!! That's it! I don't even have any commentary! It's nearly midnight here and I've been working on this as best I can! Here's hoping it's not total crap. Parts of it may be. In which case, know that I probably wrote it sometime around 1 in the morning or so. =D SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK!!! _

_Oh yeah...heavier yaoi implicatoins here. Ju~st so you know._

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Pulling away slowly, Orochimaru ran his tongue along Kabuto's slack jaw, chuckling softly. No doubt the other man's amusement stemmed from his medic's flushed appearance. Kabuto wasn't usually one to lose his composure like this, and that Orochimaru enjoyed it so much caused the boy's temper to flare slightly. Sometimes he swore the San'nin did what he did solely to humiliate the loyal oto'nin.

Gathering his scattered dignity, Kabuto swallowed dryly, reaching up between them to adjust his glasses more out of habit than necessity. "If that is, in fact, the case, Lord Orochimaru, I'll simply take my leave and seek you out later." The medic smiled wryly, attempting to salvage _anything_. At least his voice hadn't hitched with his rebuttal.

Orochimaru met the other's rather cynical stare and laughed, straightening himself and shaking his head. Running long pale fingers through his dark hair, the San'nin replied with a mocking lilt to his voice, "Aren't you cooperative today? Seeing as you are in _such_ a good mood, perhaps you'll work with Sasuke-kun for me. I don't have time for him today and you were so adamant about doing something for me…you don't mind do you, Kabuto?"

The older man was messing with him, trying to get any reaction he could. And Kabuto knew it. This was one game he would not lose. "Of course not, Lord Orochimaru," he replied affably, tilting his chin up in a shrewd gesture of defiance. "I'm more than happy to entertain Sasuke-kun in your absence."

Smile widening with sadistic satisfaction, Orochimaru turned on his heel, adding over his shoulder, "Glad to hear it, Kabuto. Try to be a tad more civil this time around. I don't need Sasuke-kun whining to me about how rude you are anymore."

Kabuto couldn't help the short laugh that escaped him, attempting to hide it behind his hand as he quickly turned his eyes away. Rude to Sasuke? Right, because the boy was just _so_ polite to Kabuto. Shaking his head and regaining his composure, Kabuto wandered back into his underground home. He was sure Sasuke would be _thrilled _with this new development. All he had to do was find the snotty little Uchiha brat.

The oto'nin wandered down the long stone halls at his own pace, in no hurry to follow out Orochimaru's orders. He knew the angry younger man would be stalking around somewhere, and that the two of them would inevitably cross paths. It was just a matter of when. The lull before the metaphorical storm that was Sasuke's fury allowed Kabuto the time to determine just what it is he would do with the young Uchiha.

Humming softly to himself and running down a list of things he _longed_ to torment their newest addition to the Sound village with, Kabuto didn't even see the boy coming. If it hadn't been for bumping shoulders and receiving several less than pleasant remarks for it, the oto'nin would have missed him altogether. Luckily, it was _very_ hard to ignore Sasuke's voice.

"Watch where you're going, you arrogant son of a…"

Kabuto cut the boy's sentence off with a curt raising of his hand, putting Sasuke off with the rude gesture. A smile crept slowly across his face at the Uchiha's indignant reaction. Oh how he enjoyed messing with the boy, knocking the high and mighty brat off of his high horse every now and again. He brushed his hair back out of his eyes, adding smugly, "Temper, Sasuke-kun. It wouldn't do to talk to me like that right now."

The boy in question glared furiously, taking none too kindly to the other's pompous attitude. Snarling under his breath, Sasuke hissed threateningly, "Why should I give a damn about how I talk to you? Are you my new babysitter? Is that what your precious master told you?"

Raising a cynical eyebrow, Kabuto shook his head in mocking sorrow and disappointment. "You're always so bitter when we speak, Sasuke-kun. I just don't understand you at all." He shrugged overdramatically, allowing his shoulders to fall heavily in an artificial show of resignation.

"No, you don't," Sasuke shot back heatedly, "Now get the hell out of my way. Unless you've stopped me to tell me where Orochimaru is." The last sentence was spoken with venomous sarcasm, a wide, contemptuous smile crossing the boy's young features. He, like Orochimaru, was trying to provoke the medic into some kind of reaction. And just like with the Snake lord, Kabuto wasn't going to give in so easily.

Smile back in place, Kabuto countered calmly, "Actually, Sasuke-kun, Lord Orochimaru is the reason I'm talking to you at all. In fact, I was asked to work with you in his absence."

Sasuke stared in open shock and disbelief. "You're kidding me, right?" he gaped, "I have to work with _you_?!"

The oto'nin's smile darkened and he fixed his eyes to Sasuke's. The boy wasn't so full of himself anymore, now that he knew Orochimaru didn't value him as much as the kid seemed to think he did. "I'm just as surprised as you, Sasuke-kun," Kabuto offered with feigned condolences, "But it's what I was told. Now, let's not waste any more time. Having looked over your training records, I notice that a lot of your basic techniques need some work."

"This is bullshit. I don't need your basic training crap." Sasuke was clearly not planning on being cooperative, not that Kabuto had anticipated he would be. But if the boy wanted his training, he'd have to learn to be nicer to the older oto'nin. And Kabuto was definitely going to play that angle up. He'd have the boy _begging_ him before he even pretended to entertain the thought.

Giving a nonchalant shrug, Kabuto moved to walk away, offering casually, "Well, if you say so, Sasuke-kun. I wouldn't want to waste your time or anything." Sneering with open condescending ridicule, he added, "It's not like I'm _stronger _than you in basic combat or anything."

That had hit the right nerve. Sasuke spun around quickly, catching hold of Kabuto's retreating shoulder. "You're not stronger than me," he pressed, his hand tightening on the other. Yet there was a loss of conviction in his voice, hesitation even. The boy was obviously aware of Kabuto's near ANBU level skills, although he'd never admit to it.

"If I'm not stronger than you, why are you bothering to stop me, Sasuke-kun? Did you want me to _prove_ to you how much better I am?" Kabuto didn't mind provoking Sasuke. It had been a while since he'd actually done some decent sparring with anyone, and he was yet to really test Sasuke's powers firsthand. And it seemed like the boy didn't respond to anything else.

Sasuke leveled a solid glare at Kabuto's jeering retaliation, increasing the pressure of his hand on the medic's shoulder. "I'm stopping you because I don't want you wandering off thinking you're stronger than me," the Uchiha huffed.

Removing the younger boy's hand from him, Kabuto turned on Sasuke, raising his chin and looking down at him with his best unimpressed stare. A wry smile spreading across his face, the oto'nin mocked derisively, "And how would you know, Sasuke-kun? Have you ever actually fought me?"

"Well…no." The boy's anger seemed to waver in the face of Kabuto's arguments. His dark eyes slid away, moving to stare at the wall as he clearly racked his brain for some kind of comeback. Slowly, he offered, "But…I _did_ see you in the Chunin exams and…"

"Stop right there," Kabuto scoffed, raising a hand to silence the Uchiha, "The _Chunin_ exams? Ha! How stupid are you, Sasuke-kun? You can't honestly think I was giving it my _all_ back then. I was _acting_. I had to gain the trust of all of the 'other students' and the faculty in order to gather information for Lord Orochimaru. Or did you not figure that out yet?"

The darker haired boy's temper flared up, his eyes flashing to the crimson red of his Sharingan. Lashing out, he took a fist full of Kabuto's shirt, pulling him down to eye level. "Don't talk to me like that," he snarled, voice laced with malice, "I don't have to take this shit from you! Now either start doing what you were sent here to do, or leave me the Hell alone!"

"I've tried to do both, Sasuke-kun, and you promptly prevented me from completing either," the silver haired medic pointed out, irritably knocking Sasuke's hands away. He then straightened his shirt with an air of annoyance, frowning at the other. "And if you want me to do _anything_, Sasuke-kun, you'd best adjust your attitude."

Sasuke stared in open shock at the oto'nin. Kabuto had never openly derided the kid before, nor had he made such clear demands either. Obviously, the spoiled brat of an Uchiha didn't know how to handle not being catered to. He gaped like a fish out of water, his mouth opening and closing in a mixture of speechless vexation and disbelief.

Smiling contemptuously, Kabuto belittled, "You can start by apologizing to me, Sasuke-kun. We'll go from there."

"The only thing I have left to say to _you_, you snide bastard, is you can take your apology and shove it up your ass!!" Sasuke's attitude had returned with a vengeance, the boy snapping the words out with clipped fury. His body was livid, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. "I'm done here! If you need me, _don't_."

Kabuto watched in subtle disappointment as Sasuke stomped off huffily down the hall. Well…that hadn't worked the way he'd planned. Admittedly, it had been fun to mess with the boy's mind, but he hadn't exactly followed Orochimaru's orders. And there wasn't a doubt in the medic's mind that, after Sasuke went and beat on some unsuspecting Sound ninja, the Uchiha punk would go straight to their master and bitch about how mean Kabuto had been to him. The surgeon couldn't help but laugh shortly. It was hard to believe that Sasuke somehow believed he deserved Kabuto's respect.

Shrugging the incident off, Kabuto turned to walk the other way, making his way casually through the halls of Otogakure's latest location. He wasn't sure where he was going, he just knew he wanted to walk the opposite way of Sasuke. His mind began to wander, lulled into relaxation by the steady sound of his own footfalls. There was research waiting for him in his lab, another pile of procrastinated paperwork hidden _somewhere_ in Orochimaru's room, several new test subjects in the cellblock…he had options. And for some reason, the idea of sneaking into his lord's room appealed to him the most. Kabuto smiled darkly to himself. Seemed like he felt like causing trouble today.

Orochimaru's room was easy enough to locate. Kabuto had had to report there more than once, and even if he hadn't, the older man _always_ had absurdly ornate doors made solely for his room. No other room in their semblance of a house was so dramatically decorated. The San'nin really was full of himself, and it made the medic smile. If anyone here had a right be arrogant, it was Orochimaru. The man had power, influence, cunning, fleets of soldiers dedicated to him, and beauty. Feeling an increasingly familiar heat on his face, Kabuto cut his thoughts short, scolding himself for having entertained such a foolish notion.

"He's not beautiful, he's downright godly perfection," he muttered without thinking as he closed the door behind him. Kabuto took a pause, his own words hanging in the air, echoing through his head. Oh great…he'd gone and developed a crush on his merciless leader. _This_ was embarrassing.

The oto'nin heaved a sigh, placing the blame for this latest incident squarely on the shoulders of the San'nin. After all, it _had_ been Orochimaru who'd gone and started kissing him out of the blue. He hadn't _asked_ the older man to do that. Nor had he asked his master to shower with him. Yes, all of this was Orochimaru's fault, and Kabuto was more than happy to stand by that conclusion. He refused to claim responsibility for a ridiculous notion like developing a crush.

Content with his decision, Kabuto set about rummaging through Orochimaru's various piles of neglected work, picking through it all to see if there was anything the man could potentially pawn off on him later. If he did it _now_ the man would have nothing on Kabuto. Well…aside from his failed attempt to entertain Sasuke. But he'd never really wanted to do that anyway, and he assumed his master understood that. Finally hitting upon something he _knew_ Orochimaru would drop on him later, Kabuto swung casually into the older man's desk, a desk that he used more than the San'nin ever did. However, as he attempted to settle comfortably into the wooden chiar, Kabuto found it increasingly difficult to sit in a way that didn't cause him some form of pain. He sighed heavily, picking himself up and out of it. Apparently his body had had enough of the chair earlier today.

The platinum haired surgeon scratched his head and glanced around. He wasn't going to just _leave_ this work now that he'd found it, but he needed somewhere to do it. His dark eyes fell upon his master's oversized bed, elaborately carved and covered in more pillows than any one person could ever possibly need. That would work for now. It had been far too long since Kabuto had actually worked somewhere that didn't threaten to cause him pain after being there for more than ten minutes.

He flopped down onto Orochimaru's bed, a long, satisfied sigh escaping his lips. No wonder the man liked going to bed so much; this thing was _amazing_. It was much better than that cot Kabuto called a bed. Not that he'd ever really thought of complaining before this. He'd definitely bring up that raise the next time he talked to Orochimaru. Clearly the man had more money to spend then he was letting on, and if anyone deserved better living quarters, it was Kabuto. He was the San'nin's personal medic after all, as well as his right hand man. The least the older man could do was supply Kabuto with a decent bed.

Crawling further onto the large piece of furniture, Kabuto situated himself comfortably amongst the many pillows, pulling his knees up so that he had a somewhat solid surface on which to actually do the work he'd found. The time ticked by surprisingly quickly, the pile of papers shifting from Kabuto's lap to the stack of completed work he'd started next to him. Before he knew it, he'd managed to get through it all, the candle he'd lit on the bedside table not even a quarter of the way through. The medic couldn't help but laugh softly. He'd have to remember how much better he worked in a more relaxing environment.

But now what was he going to do with himself? There was still all that research in his lab, and those test subjects in the basement. Yet, as he moved the pile of paperwork and the pen he'd used to get through it on to the stand beside the large bed, Kabuto's body decided to remind him that he was sorely lacking sleep. He'd been overworked for too long. Maybe he'd just steal an hour. He was already here after all, and it wasn't like Orochimaru would notice. Kabuto would be done long before the snake lord returned.

With that thought in mind, Kabuto curled in against the wall of pillows, gave a soft, pleased, sigh and closed his eyes. He didn't even bother to take his glasses off. It was just a power nap after all…

After an indeterminable amount of time, Kabuto became hazily aware of added weight and soft breath feathering across his face. The medic groaned an incoherent string of sleepy protest, attempting to roll away from whoever it was only to come in contact with something very solid. Giving a soft grunt of annoyance, Kabuto stretched out lazily and yawned, finally opening his eyes. He hated himself the instant he did.

Planted quite firmly over top of him was Orochimaru, faint amusement dancing in those enthralling serpentine eyes, arms supporting the older man on either side of Kabuto. That long ebony hair fell forward, acting as a veil that cut the two of them off from the rest of the world, some vagrant strands brushing against the medic's slowly reddening face. The oto'nin shut his eyes tightly again, mumbling under his breath that this was all some kind of sick dream, elliciting a low laugh from his master and quickly destroying any hopes Kabuto had that his mind was playing tricks on him.

Managing a weak smile, Kabuto attempted to keep his voice level as he reopened his eyes to meet Orochimaru's. "Hello, Lord Orochimaru," he offered with surprising strength to his voice, "What can I do for you?"

"Well, you can start by telling me why it is you're sleeping in my bed," Orochimaru hummed mockingly, a wide, predatory, smile on his face.

Kabuto swallowed dryly, turning his eyes to the far wall, unable to maintain eye contact at such proximity. "I was just…um…your desk is highly uncomfortable, Lord Orochimaru." The oto'nin wanted nothing more than to be able to just disappear. How could he have let himself _do_ this?! He should have known better. But then, hindsight was 20/20.

The pale man raised an unimpressed eyebrow, tilting his head slightly and causing more of that soft hair to swipe across Kabuto's heated face. "So…what? You were going to sleep on my _desk_, Kabuto?"

"No," Kabuto corrected with a small frown, forcing himself to ignore the distracting feel of velvety black hair, "I was _trying_ to get some more of your paperwork done and I was sick of sitting in that awful desk chair of your's." He offered his own derisive smile, attempting a shrug from where he lay. "And your bed is more than big enough."

Laughing shortly, Orochimaru shifted slightly, pinning his subordinate's legs beneath his own. "If you wanted into my bed so badly, Kabuto," the snake manipulator purred, lowering his face toward's Kabuto's, "You could have just _asked_."

What?! Something odd had gotten into Orochimaru lately, and Kabuto decidedly did not like it. He knew the man lacked any sense of personal space, but there was no way anyone could misunderstand what Orochimaru was alluding to _this _time around. Squirming uncomfortably, the medic brought a hand up to gently push Orochimaru away from himself, retaliating uneasily, "That's hardly what I meant, Lord Orochimaru. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work that I need to get done before the day is out…"

Orochimaru placed two fingers firmly against Kabuto's lips, smiling hungrily. "Going so soon, Kabuto?" the San'nin intoned lightly, "But I just got here. And you look _so_ cute sleeping in my bed."

"Your arrival happens to be the _reason_ I see the need to leave, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto countered, his snippy defensive tone contrasting the scarlet blush that stained his face. Orochimaru had called him _cute_! How degrading was this going to get? Fighting back against the other man with a little more conviction, Kabuto added, "Besides, I was just catching up on some of the sleep _you've_ deprived me of lately. Now if you wouldn't mind letting me _go_…"

The San'nin tightened his legs around Kabuto's, drawing a sharp, stunned, gasp from the younger man, followed by an indignant glare. Smiling with saccharine sweetness, Orochimaru leaned in to whisper next to Kabuto's ear. "I don't think you understand the position you're in, Kabuto. You can't honestly expect me to just let you use my bed and leave without any consequences, can you?"

Frowning crossly, Kabuto retorted, "I'm sure there are other ways you can punish me, Lord Orochimaru. This is getting ridiculous." The medic was convinced that Orochimaru was simply toying with him as always, using his newly found power over his subordinate to exorbitant levels. And Kabuto was sick of being pulled around by his recently discovered hormones.

"Punish you, Kabuto?" Orochimaru asked innocently, lifting his head to meet the other's irritated stare, "Oh, I'm not going to punish you. I'm simply going to show you why it is I have such a large bed."

Kabuto's breath hitched in his throat. Suddenly this game seemed like it was taking a very serious turn. Orochimaru wasn't kidding anymore. He actually meant to…Face flushing, Kabuto fought harder against his master, trying desperately to squirm away. He couldn't meet the other's gaze any longer, and the soft, deriding laughter that met his actions sent shivers through his body.

The younger man's struggles were put to an end as Orochimaru lowered his weight more completely onto the other, the leader of the Sound taking a quick nip at Kabuto's reddened ear. "Hmm, why so shy, Kabuto?" the older man breathed, "You seemed to enjoy it when I kissed you earlier."

Gasping and panting at his master's teasing attention, Kabuto stammered pathetically, "K-kissing is one thing, L-Lord Orochimaru! Y-you're talking about…about…" He couldn't bring himself to actually _verbalize_ the idea; it was just too much for him to think that _that's_ what Orochimaru wanted from him.

"You mean sex, Kabuto?"

Kabuto's movements ceased altogether, his body stiffening and his heart racing. How could Orochimaru be so nonchalant about _everything_?! The oto'nin brought his hands up and gripped his master's shoulders none too gently, roughly attempting to force the other off of him. Why was Orochimaru even _doing_ this?! This was a touch too drastic to simply mess with the younger man's mind.

Patiently dislodging Kabuto's vice like grip, the San'nin brought his mouth in to attack the smooth column of the medic's throat, licking against Kabuto's bobbing Adam's apple. The boy shut his eyes tightly, his breath coming in short gulps of air, his body arching involuntarily into his master's. This was so _wrong_, but it felt so _right_. Orochimaru's wickedly long tongue slid down into Kabuto's shirt, tracing a cool, wet line across the surgeon's heated skin, drawing a long low moan from the platinum haired youth's slack lips.

Tangling his hands in Orochimaru's thick black hair, Kabuto panted heavily, "Ah! L-Lord Orochimaru! I-I…I need…Oooh…" His glasses were still on his face, now sitting crooked and obscuring his vision. His own silver hair was mussed from both sleeping and writhing amongst the mound of soft pillows. He'd never been so ravaged, never had anyone treat him like Orochimaru did. And it felt _delicious_.

"You need…what, Kabuto?" the San'nin murmured as he retracted his tongue, smiling against the warm skin of his medic's neck. God, the older man _thrived_ on torture.

Kabuto tugged at his leader's hair, whimpering softly at the sudden halting of the doting ministrations. How was he supposed to _say_ it? He could barely think it, much less articulate it. Yet Orochimaru clearly wasn't planning on continuing until Kabuto answered the question, the thought dragging another soft moan from the vulnerable oto'nin.

Swallowing his pride, Kabuto licked his lips and took several deep breaths. He _had _to say what Orochimaru wanted to hear, _had_ to get the other man back to kissing and touching. "_You_," he finally managed to choke out, "I need _you_, Lord Orochimaru! _Please_."

The snake lord chuckled softly, sitting up to straddle Kabuto's hips, grinding his own down hard against the younger man, clearly taking joy from the submissive sounds that the usually arrogant medic made. "Is that so?" Orochimaru posed breathily, "And just what is it you need me to do?"

Was he serious?! He was going to make Kabuto say every god damn _word_?! Glaring up at his master, Kabuto attempted to convey how irate he was, clipping his words shortly. "I need you to _do_ something. Touch me. Kiss me. I don't _care_. Just don't _sit there_."

"So impatient, Kabuto," the San'nin hummed, leaning down to kiss along his medic's jawline. "How's this, hmm?" Orochimaru's long, tapered fingers slid under Kabuto's shirt, sharp nails dragging along sensitive skin.

Kabuto yelped, arching into the touch, dry sobs racking his body at the overwhelming sensations that washed over him. He wanted more of _everything_, and Orochimaru was just playing with him. It was sheer erotic anguish. Why did he have to go and fall for a sadistic lunatic? Why couldn't he have picked someone who _didn't_ take pleasure in watching him squirm?

Withdrawing his hands to pull roughly at Kabuto's hair, Orochimaru forced the boy's head back, kissing him aggressively, that addictively long tongue forcing its way into Kabuto's inexperienced mouth. The oto'nin groaned low in his throat, clutching desperately to the fabric of his master's clothes. Kabuto twined their legs together, attempting to pull the older man in for _any_ contact he could get.

The pale man pulled away abruptly, licking his lips slowly as he looked at Kabuto's disheveled appearance. His amber eyes smoldered with suppressed lust and desire, his own breathing coming in shorter intervals. "Tell me something, Kabuto," Orochimaru pressed, tugging lightly at the boy's hair.

"Anything, Lord Orochimaru, just _don't stop_! _Please_!" Kabuto was near tears from the buildup of sexual tension in his body. It was getting to the point where it actually _hurt_. And all Orochimaru could do was sit there and interrogate him. If the older ninja didn't do something soon, Kabuto was sure he was going to die from forced restraint.

Orochimaru laughed at Kabuto's desperation, shifting his hips against the other's in order to keep the boy from going mad. He slid one hand down to gently stroke Kabuto's face, keeping his touch feathery. "Who do you belong to, Kabuto?"

What?! What kind of ridiculous question was _that_?! Shaking his head, Kabuto managed to pull enough coherent thoughts together to form an answer. "You, Lord Orochimaru! I belong to you and you alone! I would do _anything _for you! Now, _please_, stop teasing me!!"

Lowering his head, Orochimaru kissed Kabuto warmly. "As tempting as that sounds, Kabuto, I've heard all I need to." Then, quite abruptly, Orochimaru swung himself off of the flustered medic, planting his feet on the floor and straightening himself out.

"Wh-what?!" Kabuto stammered incredulously, sitting up, his glasses practically falling off his face, "You're just going to _leave_?! B-But you were…I thought…What is going on here?!" The oto'nin was confused, more so than he ever had been. One minute he couldn't get his master to leave him alone, the next, when he actually decides he _wants_ it, Orochimaru just up and leaves.

The San'nin turned and regarded Kabuto curiously, a faint smile of amusement on his lips. "Oh come now, Kabuto," he chided, "You can't honestly think I was _serious_, can you? I simply needed to know you were mine. I had a rather…unpleasant encounter today, and your name came up. I was just making sure."

Kabuto managed to right himself, hurriedly getting to his feet and catching the retreating leader's shoulder. He knew he must have looked like a mess, but the hell he cared. His _dignity_ was on the line and he'd be damned if he just let Orochimaru walk out of the room with it. Forcing the other man to face him, Kabuto demanded perhaps a tad too harshly, "No! That doesn't make sense! You just did this to test my _loyalty_?!"

"Are you deaf, Kabuto? Or did I stutter?" Orochimaru looked anything but impressed as he looked his personal medic over. "You lie far too well for your own good, and it's sometimes difficult for me to tell when you're being honest with me. However, _everyone_ is easier to read when they're in the throes of passion. And when I found you already in my bed…it was too easy to pass up Kabuto." He laughed shortly, shaking his head and scoffing. "Now go clean yourself up. You look…filthy."

Stammering incoherent sounds of disbelief, Kabuto shook his head slowly as he watched his master walk away. He couldn't believe it. It had all been…another game?! Orochimaru was _using_ him…again?! Swearing none too subtly, Kabuto picked up the first thing he found and hurled it across the room, watching the candle hit against the stones, splattering hot melted wax everywhere, the flame instantly extinguished. That was _it_!! Orochimaru could do his own damn work!! Kabuto was _never_ going to respond to the man's summons again! He had plenty of his own work to accomplish!!

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_I do so lo~ve tormenting poor Kabu-kun. And the occasional Sasuke abuse never hurt anyone. Well...except Sasuke. HA!_


	4. Chapter 4

_I DID IT!! This chapter has, by far, been the hardest one to write. And I fear that may be reflected in the content. In which case...I blame lack of sleep and university exams. That work for everyone? Cooooool. _

_Anyway...regarding the chapter's content. I _did_ discuss certain possibilities with a friend of mine, so I admit I had a sounding board for it. Also, there is some more suggestive yaoi content. Just so you all know. But I am totally brain dead now. I have been working on this for a long time and have lost more than half my sleep on it. Fun fun. Here's hoping it was worth it!_

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For three straight days, Kabuto successfully avoided Orochimaru. He'd managed to skirt around any potential encounters, spending most of his time locked away in his lab or patrolling the borderlines. It had been the most calming, peaceful, three days of his life. Not only was he free from any political paperwork that Orochimaru inevitably put off and saved for him, but he hadn't had to deal with Sasuke either. The Uchiha had come to the Sound village to train with a San'nin, and hence tailed the older ninja like an irritable dog. In other words, the angst ridden brat avoided Kabuto as much as Kabuto avoided the angst ridden brat. It worked out nicely that way.

As it stood at the moment, Kabuto was seated in the desk in his lab, scribbling away in his notebook about his latest pet project. He had to admit, all this time to himself was refreshing. He hadn't really had a chance to work on what _he_ wanted to work on for quite some time, and it felt good to put himself first for once. Finishing up the last several lines, Kabuto snapped the notebook closed and stretched out languidly, smiling warmly. He'd made a _lot_ of progress, and it felt amazing. He'd have to put Orochimaru off more often.

"Well then," he hummed, getting to his feet and turning to face his latest subject, "I guess I'll close you up and check in on you in a few hours."

It didn't really matter that he was regarding the clearly malnourished man laying naked and exposed on the cold sterile table; there were so many drugs running through the subject's veins that Kabuto would have been impressed if he'd even heard him, much less understood him. It was more of a spoken reminder for himself to return to this. The medic had a nasty tendency of multitasking, and forgetting about things he'd started earlier in the day. And he could _not_ afford to let this one slip away from him.

Taking up the necessary tools, Kabuto moved over to the table, quickly checking over the thin man's vitals to make sure everything was still in working order. It seemed everything was doing what it should; nothing was showing any discoloration or difficulty. Kabuto nodded curtly, happy with what he saw, and quickly set in on stitching the man closed. He took his time, not having any real plans for the time between this and the next set of tests. Maybe he'd take a walk. Their latest location really was a nice one. Deciding the fresh air would do him good, Kabuto clipped the thread and made his way over to the lab's sink, washing his hands and humming a soft, tuneless song to himself.

However, his good mood was abruptly brought to an end as the door to his lab was crudely thrown open. Only one person ever took it upon themselves to enter _any_ room in Otogakure in such a manner, and Kabuto heaved a sigh. Time to put his patience to the test yet again.

"I have gone almost eighty six blissful hours without your presence in my life, Sasuke-kun," the oto'nin grumbled, turning to face the other as he wiped his damp hands on his pants, "Why do you feel the need to ruin it for me now?"

Snorting angrily, Sasuke flipped Kabuto off, crossing his arms and taking a firmly defensive stance. Clearly, the boy didn't like being in the lab; it was Kabuto's element, and it obviously made the Uchiha uncomfortable. "Trust me, I wouldn't be here if I didn't think that bastard, Orochimaru, would be here," Sasuke spat venomously.

Kabuto tilted his head slightly, raising a curious eyebrow. "Lord Orochimaru? Why would he be here, Sasuke-kun?" It was an honest question. The snake manipulator very rarely had any reason to be in Kabuto's lab, usually only taking the time to visit when he needed the medic for something else. And with the surgeon's recent decision to spite the older man, Kabuto had made a point to not be anywhere _near_ Orochimaru's distinct chakra signature.

"Why _wouldn't_ he be?!" the dark haired boy shot back irritably, "For the past _two days_ he's done nothing but bitch about you avoiding him! Even when we're training, all he does is whine!! And he takes it out on _me_!!"

The oto'nin was taken off guard. And then a wide, sadistic smile spread across his young face as Sasuke's accusation sunk in. Orochimaru was _upset_. He'd actually managed to make the San'nin squirm with his absence. His whole plan had _succeeded_! Kabuto had to hold back the urge to laugh. This was just too good.

Smiling cynically, Kabuto sneered mockingly, "Oh has he now? And just what has he been complaining about? Anything in particular?"

"You sick son of a bitch!! You're _enjoying_ this aren't you?! You _wanted_ this, didn't you?!"

Sasuke's blatant outrage and disgust was the final push Kabuto needed, and the medic broke into hysteric laughter. It was more than he could take. He'd _actually_ outdone Orochimaru! It was about damn time the older man knew how frustrating being ignored could be. Wiping tears of mirth from his eyes, Kabuto took several deep breaths in an attempt to compose himself. He'd buckled over, holding his sides, having enjoyed his victory perhaps a bit too much. But now was the time to actually _savor_ his victory. It was time to hunt down the San'nin and rub it in his face.

Taking another moment to fully calm himself, Kabuto's smile remained firmly on his face. He adjusted his glasses and regarded the younger boy, "And what if I _did_ want this to play out? What are you going to do, Sasuke-kun? Look, I'm going to go find him now anyway, so why don't you just tell me where he is?"

The young Uchiha's glare was no less spiteful. "If I knew that, I wouldn't _be here_," Sasuke snapped, "I thought he was with you!"

Kabuto sighed and shook his head, shrugging offhandedly. He brushed past the younger man, stepping into the hall and taking a quick look either way. "You never could find him without someone showing him to you, could you?" the medic mocked. Turning back around to face Sasuke with a triumphant and condescending smile, Kabuto added, "Luckily, I've never really had that problem. And when I find him, I'll be sure to let him know his dog is looking for him."

Before Sasuke could get a countering word in, Kabuto was already laughing to himself and walking down the long stone corridor. He was going to have far too much fun when he found his master; he was intent on showing Orochimaru just _why_ it was unhealthy to humiliate Kabuto Yakushi. However, if the Uchiha punk couldn't find the man, that meant that Orochimaru wasn't in any of his usual places. And if what the boy said was true, then the snake lord was out looking in places he thought _Kabuto_ would be. Scratching absently at the back of his head, Kabuto pondered where Orochimaru would think to look for him.

"The medicinal garden," the oto'nin finally mumbled to himself. It was a place that only he and the San'nin knew about. Neither of them had thought it necessary for Sasuke to know of it. The boy would never have any reason to go there other than to destroy it in an effort to spite Kabuto. That was the last thing the surgeon needed. But then, Sasuke was the last thing Kabuto wanted to think about.

He made short time in getting to his medicinal herb garden, his mood elating further as he saw an irate Orochimaru standing in the midst of the plants. Clearing his throat, Kabuto adjusted his glasses vainly and asked contemptuously, "You were looking for me, Lord Orochimaru?"

The older man rounded on the medic furiously, golden eyes narrowed dangerously, shoulders tensed, pale fists clenched at his sides. "You avoid me for _three days_ and think that I'll tolerate such lip from you, boy?" Orochimaru snarled venomously, "You'd best change your tone if you wish to _live_."

Maintaining his sardonically pleasant smile, Kabuto countered smoothly, "Is that so? And just who will fill in for me when I'm dead, Lord Orochimaru? I assume you've been training a replacement with such open threats on my life." The medic was fully aware that he was treading on thin ice, that if he pushed the other man too far, he could very well lose _something_. However, he also knew that he was the _only_ one Orochimaru had for certain duties, and that allotted him significantly more play room than most others in the Sound village.

"You must truly despise your life, _Kabuto_." The pale man practically spat the medic's name, stalking forward like an animal cornering its prey. "It isn't wise to continue your pitiful taunting."

Kabuto's smile widened, the younger man tilting his head arrogantly. Orochimaru had reached his quiet state of fury, such a thing acting as a warning sign for most others. For Kabuto, it just alerted him to how much more he could get away with. Casually running a hand through his platinum bangs, Kabuto replied placidly, "You still haven't answered my question, my lord. Just who is it that you have lined up to replace me?"

Catching the boy's face in a none too gentle grip, Orochimaru forced Kabuto to look at him. The older man leaned in closely, growling heatedly, "I don't _need_ to replace you, Kabuto, as you've been doing _nothing_ to prove that I even require someone of your position in my employ."

Perfect. Orochimaru had said exactly what Kabuto had been waiting for. "Well, if that's the case, why were you looking for me with such determination?" The medic's smile had become as predatory as any the snake lord had ever managed, amusement lacing each word he spoke. These verbal games were ones Kabuto often won; Orochimaru could sometimes let his emotions run rampant, providing the edge the clever oto'nin needed.

Orochimaru opened his mouth but no words came out. He was hesitating, caught off guard by the other's disarming question. And the sheer hatred in his golden eyes dictated just how much he despised the boy for it. Roughly shoving Kabuto back, Orochimaru huffed angrily and turned away, shaking his head. "Who said I was looking for you, Kabuto?" he managed to counter, silken voice still thick with malice.

"Oh, I just assumed you were as you don't usually frequent my personal garden on simple whims," the medic shot back smoothly. He had Orochimaru cornered, and both of them knew it. The San'nin just wouldn't go down without a fight.

Levelling a smoldering glare at the younger man, Orochimaru hissed cynically, "And you determine what it is I do with my spare time, Kabuto? I hadn't realized you were my personal planner."

The medic's smile wavered. Orochimaru was regaining his footing, had picked up on a slip Kabuto hadn't even realized he'd made. Oh no, he was _not_ going to let his plan fail so easily. "Well _someone_ has to do it," Kabuto offered with a nonchalant shrug, "Otherwise you wouldn't know what to do with yourself. We both know that you find yourself wandering _far _too much for your own good."

"How considerate of you, Kabuto," the older man snarled, "Although I have to admit that I doubt I'll need _that _service of you much longer. After all, you _have_ been failing me quite miserably of late."

Kabuto's smile quirked bitterly. This was starting to get interesting. But the San'nin was still angry, which meant his replies were still run mainly on emotion and not logic. The game was still up in the air. "Oh, I've hardly been failing you, Lord Orochimaru. To be able to fail you, I'd have had to have been serving you. And as you _haven't_ been looking for me, you've clearly had no task for me, so there's nothing I could have failed." The medic shrugged emotively, keeping his dark eyes fixed on his master's.

Slowly shifting his footing to face the other man squarely, Orochimaru straightened to his full height, very much like a threatened serpent. The older man was losing what little ground he'd managed to gain, and clearly wasn't happy with it. Orochimaru never had been a graceful loser.

Clipping his words shortly, the San'nin's tone was pure venom. "Just what are you saying, _boy_? Are you implying that _I _am at fault? That _I_ failed somehow?"

"Perhaps," Kabuto replied, smile widening with his victory now in sight, "But then, you _could _have been looking for me. You never did specify whether you were or not, my lord." Orochimaru's admission would be the final move needed for the medic to be able to capture his opponent's king.

The leader of the Sound clearly realized the position he'd been backed into. No matter which answer he gave, he'd lost. Wrathfully staring the other down, Orochimaru admitted bitterly, "Yes, I _was_ attempting to find you, Kabuto. I require your assistance with something. Nothing of great urgency, mind you. Just a minor irritation I'd like taken care of."

Kabuto laughed under his breath as his master attempted to salvage some sort of dignity from his clear failure. The medic let it slide; pride was all Orochimaru had left at this point. Tamping down some of his arrogance, Kabuto made a sweeping gesture as he bowed his head in mock servitude. "In that case, my lord, what can I do for you?"

Sighing heavily, Orochimaru seemed to cool his temper, the tension visibly slipping out of his lithe body. He smiled wryly at the boy, the action plainly forced as he answered flatly, "I'd rather we didn't talk about it here, Kabuto. Meet me in my room; we'll discuss my needs there."

Before Kabuto could protest the command, Orochimaru had brushed past him, something about the older man's movements bothering the medic. He watched the San'nin walk away and shook his head. His master only ever wanted to speak with Kabuto in his personal chambers when the man wanted to assert his position over the surgeon. Just as Kabuto did when he spoke to anyone in his lab. It was simply a feeling of security, of control, when one met with others on grounds of their choosing. That meant the snake lord was still bitter about losing their little spat; either that, or this "minor irritation" was more than the older man was willing to let on. Either way, Kabuto had no choice but to obey. He _had_ volunteered after all.

The silver haired youth walked down the stone halls thoughtlessly, his feet already well aware of what turns they had to make, what tiles to avoid so as not to trip any of the many traps that lined their home. He allowed his mind to wander, drifting from one thought to another. His test subject was still sedated and restrained on his lab table, Sasuke was no doubt skulking down the halls cursing _something_, Orochimaru needed his help…in less than an afternoon, his three days of personal time had gone up in smoke and his life as and overworked and unappreciated subordinate had returned. Kabuto sighed softly. Sometimes he wondered why he did what he did.

Kabuto didn't bother knocking as he pulled Orochimaru's door open; the man had requested his presence and hence had no reason to get snippy about his medic's actions. He kept his eyes lowered out of habit, years of servitude having ingrained the tendency in the boy's mind. The San'nin knew it was as empty a gesture as Kabuto did, but neither said anything about it. Why say what was mutually understood?

"So, what was it you needed, Lord Orochimaru?" Kabuto asked for a second time that day, slowly raising his gaze.

The San'nin was sitting on the edge of his large bed, amber eyes revealing a less than amused mood. Kabuto frowned slightly. It wasn't like Orochimaru to let his emotions sit so openly on the surface, not even when it was just the two of them. But there was something else there too, something underneath the exasperation. It was…pain.

His expression softening slightly, Kabuto took several tentative steps forward. "Are you alright, Lord Orochimaru?"

Anything else the boy may have been about to say was silenced by the swift raising of the other's hand, those enthralling eyes narrowing sharply. "I'm fine," the San'nin answered coldly, "Just sore. Going three straight days training Sasuke with a disappearing personal medic can do that to a person."

Kabuto laughed softly, his mind eased slightly as his lord's bitter sense of humor came forth. The man couldn't be in _too_ much pain if he was still making subtle joking statements. Shrugging offhandedly, Kabuto offered, "I was caught up with other things. But I'll gladly see to it now if you'd like."

"That would be why I asked you here in the first place, Kabuto. If I get any stiffer I doubt I'll be able to move." The last part was said under the older man's breath, but the surgeon had picked it up and smiled faintly. It was assuring to know Orochimaru wasn't too upset, and that it wasn't his current body failing him that was the source of his pain. Had that been the case, the snake manipulator wouldn't have been so calm, nor would he have been so patient with Kabuto's absence.

Advancing to sit next to the older man, Kabuto sidled in closely, gently placing his hands on the other's shoulders. Orochimaru tensed as Kabuto's medicinal chakra swept into his tightened muscles. It was a reaction the medic was used to and he paid it no mind. The end result always justified the initial pain. Gradually, Kabuto increased the pressue he applied with his experienced fingers, tracing practiced lines down the older man's back. He heard the soft sigh that escaped the snake lord, the man's slender shoulders slipping as Kabuto's massage did its job. The oto'nin couldn't help but smile. Only he could draw such vulnerable reactions from the legendary genius of the San'nin.

Orochimaru leaned his head back slightly, soft dark strands tickling Kabuto's fingers as the boy worked the older man's shoulders attentively. "Mmm, Kabuto," he breathed softly, "That's good. _More_."

The silver haired boy laughed softly. Orochimaru could be so demanding sometimes; but this was one request Kabuto had no qualms with filling. He couldn't leave his master sore, after all. Carefully working out one of the tougher knots in Orochimaru's back, Kabuto purred next to the snake lord's ear, "You really can't look after yourself without me, can you? I need to remember not to leave you on your own for so long."

"Yes, you do," Orochimaru muttered, his breathing slowing to a more peaceful rate, "Why _did_ you hide from me for so long anyway?"

Kabuto paused. Had the San'nin seriously just asked him _why_? As if he didn't know!! Residual anger at the bitter memory flared up and the oto'nin none too gently forcing a sharp shock of chakra into the other man's body, knowing the painful effect the notion would have. Clipping off as much anger as he could, Kabuto replied, "_Why_, Lord Orochimaru? I suppose I was just a tad put off."

Yelping abruptly, the leader of the Sound turned his eyes to glare irritably at Kabuto. "What the hell was _that_ for?" he demanded sharply, "And what do you mean, 'put off'. Don't talk to me like I'm one of your experiments, Kabuto; I'm your _master_."

The clear condescending tone the other took on irked Kabuto further, fuelling his simmering frustration. Continuing to feed sharper pangs of chakra into Orochimaru's tense muscles, the medic smiled acrimoniously, lightly digging his nails in. "My apologies then _master_," Kabuto countered sarcastically, "What I meant to say was that I avoided you because I had better things to do than be just another pawn in your silly little games." He normally wasn't one to just out and say these things, but it was obvious that Orochimaru wasn't going to learn any other way. Sometimes Kabuto wondered why everyone claimed the man was a genius.

"Shit, that hurts Kabuto!" Orochimaru cursed violently, moving to jerk away from Kabuto's hands. The older man's own annoyance had returned full force, his brilliant eyes narrowed dangerously as he turned to face the boy. "I didn't ask you in here to bitch at me," he shot viciously, "And since when did _you_ decide what I can and cannot do?"

His own irritation sparking dangerously, Kabuto spat back, "Since you decided I was nothing more than a plaything!" The oto'nin realized he was probably going to pay dearly for his insolence, but he wasn't going to just sit by and let the older man use him like a doormat anymore. He would not let his decade of service to this man go completely unappreciated.

Orochimaru stared in a mixture of disgust and surprise at Kabuto's defensive tone, silence falling between the two for a painful amount of time. Neither broke eye contact with the other, neither shifted position. They simply stared at one another, Kabuto still cleary offended, Orochimaru still caught off guard by the uncharacteristic outburst. Slowly, gradually, the older man's expression shifted to one of subtle amusement, a sadistically humored smile spreading across his pale face. The medic found his conviction wavering slightly, a cold fear spreading through his body as those alluring golden eyes filled with twisted pleasure.

"A plaything, Kabuto?" Orochimaru's voice was low, his tone laced with subtle mockery. The man's predatory smile was sending shivers all through Kabuto's body as the San'nin slid in closer, moving with the same silent grace as the serpents he so easily controlled.

Instinctively shuffling backwards, Kabuto regarded Orochimaru cautiously, shakily reaching up to adjust his glasses. He swallowed dryly, unable to look away from the other's near hypnotic gaze. Why was Orochimaru so…_calm_ all of a sudden? And why did Kabuto have an overwhelming sense that he'd made an _awful_ mistake?

The leader of the Sound managed to close the distance between them much faster than Kabuto could back away, easily planting an arm on either side of the younger man and bringing his face in mere inches from the medic's. "You're not a plaything, Kabuto," Orochimaru hummed, leaning in so his breath feathered across Kabuto's reddening ear. "Do you know what I'd do if you were?"

Kabuto shook his head slowly, unable to find the appropriate words for the situation. He cursed his weakness, how quickly he lost all sense of self as soon as Orochimaru got close to him. Yet, with that dark, silken voice brushing past his ear in seductive whispers, the oto'nin was finding it increasingly difficult to stay mad at himself.

"If you were nothing but a plaything, I wouldn't bother asking you anything now would I?" Orochimaru was pressing more of his powerful body against Kabuto's, forcing the medic to fall backwards onto the large bed until the San'nin was situated solidly on top of him. "I'd simply take what I wanted."

Gasping shortly as Orochimaru shamelessly flicked his tongue out along the shell of the surgeon's ear, Kabuto attempted to keep his breathing under control to no avail. "Isn't that…ah!…what you're doing _now_, Lord Orochimaru?" the platinum haired oto'nin panted, dark eyes shut against the waves of sensations that washed over his body at his master's slightest touch.

The San'nin laughed faintly and ran fleeting kisses along Kabuto's jawline. "Yes, I suppose it is," Orochimaru mused softly, "But then I'm proving a point, aren't I?"

No. Kabuto had to put a stop to this. That mocking lilt was back in Orochimaru's voice, the same one that had been there the _first_ time the man had pinned Kabuto like this. The snake lord was just using him again, was just using this as a new way to regain the upperhand. And Kabuto would be damned if he let it work on him a second time. Digging his hands roughly in Orochimaru's addictively soft hair, the oto'nin pulled back harshly, forcing the San'nin to jerk upwards with a soft grunt of pain. Lust darkened amber met widened, offended obsidian.

"The only point you're proving, Lord Orochimaru, is that you don't learn." Kabuto's chest was still heaving, his heart still pounding loudly in his ears, but he managed to keep his voice level. Behind his glasses, he narrowed his eyes, tugging at the other's hair once again. "Now get off of me. You're clearly feeling better, so there's nothing left for me to do here."

Orochimaru's confidence of the moment faltered in the face of Kabuto's surprisingly coherent rebuttal. The man didn't even seem to notice the other's hands tangled in his hair. "What did you just say?" The question was little more than an exhalation, serpentine eyes flashing with dangerous resentment.

Keeping his voice as flat and unaffected as he could, Kabuto repeated evenly, "I said, I want you to get off of me. I have plenty of other things I could be doing and you obviously don't require my presence any longer. Do I have to repeat myself again?" The medic allowed a touch of subtle amusement to seep into his voice as he addressed the older man. There was a certain type of enjoyment the boy got from standing up to Orochimaru.

The snake lord was left speechless and visibly frustrated. Orochimaru did _not _like losing, and yet Kabuto had been beating him at every turn, the medic managing to keep his ground regardless of the corners his master backed him into. Snarling under his breath, the pale man took a fist full of Kabuto's silver hair and pulled roughly, causing the younger man to flinch and yelp slightly.

"I don't like this new tone of your's, Kabuto," Orochimaru hissed under his breath, his anger having overruled his initial disbelief, "It seems like I have to teach you your place in my world all over again."

Kabuto glared up at his master, fighting against the other man's weight on top of him. "I know my place, Lord Orochimaru," he scoffed indignantly, "It's _you_ who doesn't understand it. I thought that, perhaps, three days without me would teach you that, but apparently I was wrong." Going against his better judgment, the oto'nin lit his hand up with his chakra blade and directed it through Orochimaru's spine, causing a painful nervous spasm that gave Kabuto the opening he needed to shove the older man off of him. He then rolled off the side of the bed, quickly getting to his feet and rounding on Orochimaru, meeting the infuriated golden stare with a solidly determined one of his own.

Breath coming roughly from the sudden shot of pain, Orochimaru exuded fury, his chakra levels spiking dangerously. His brilliant eyes openly displayed an incensed need to spill Kabuto's blood. But his body was in no state to move just yet; the medic had made sure of that. If he'd learned anything from his years of service under the San'nin, it was to immobilize him before angering him, a skill he grudgingly had to thank Konoha's regarded Yakushi family for teaching him.

Tension and silence stretched between the two of them, both of them livid. Finally Kabuto let out a short breath he hadn't known he was holding and turned on his heel. Out of a distracted need for something grounded, Kabuto pushed his glasses up, sighing softly. He didn't enjoy coming to conflict with his master, but at times it seemed the only way to convey the message.

"If you need me, I'll be in my lab," Kabuto muttered impassively over his shoulder, "Although I suggest you rest, my lord. Strenuous activity after what your body just went through could be harmful."

The oto'nin took his leave quietly, shutting the heavy wooden doors behind him. Once in the hall, his shoulders slumped tiredly and he fell against the doors. Kabuto closed his eyes and took several long, slow, breaths. That had _not_ been what he'd been planning. Yet, as much as he wanted to feel bad, to feel some kind of remorse for what had just happened, the oto'nin found a twisted smile spreading across his face. A slow, cynical laughter built in his chest, finally echoing down the long dark halls. Sasuke had been right; Kabuto _was_ a sick son of a bitch. And he loved every minute of it.

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_Ok...so it was shorter than the others too. I'm sorry. But I really didn't know where else to go with it just yet. Maybe I'll call this done? I dunno. You'll have to let me know..._


	5. Chapter 5

_Hello everyone, and welcome to chapter 5. The current local time is 4:03am. Thank you for flying __Selvanic Doesn't Sleep__ airlines, and we hope you enjoy your stay here in chapter 5. Please be aware that any information you may have stored away from last chapter, may be skewed over the duration of the writing period. Thank you again for flying with us, and we hope you come back for your return trip. _

_No, but in all seriousness, it really is that late (early?) because I refused to sleep until this was done. It was supposed to be finished, like, yesterday afternoon, but I got caught up RPing with some friends and...yeah. So I apologize for how off topic this chapter may come across. It really did seem relevant when I thought of it..._

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Several quiet hours ticked by as Kabuto finished up the second set of tests for the day, cleaning the subject up for overnight storage. It was nice having a second room attached to his lab, a place to keep the unconscious or semi-conscious bodies that were his specimens. It certainly saved on space. However, as Kabuto was washing his hands in one of the lab's many deep sinks, he heard the soft sound of another entering his domain. The medic's shoulders tensed slightly, remembering the less than pleasant way he'd left his master.

"I believe proper manners dictate that you face me, Kabuto," Orochimaru's silken voice offered flatly. There was no humor in the statement; it was devoid of any emotional infliction at all. The San'nin was quiet, distant, and it worried Kabuto more than usual. Orochimaru rarely regarded him so coldly.

Casually drying his hands on one of many soft cotton towels, Kabuto turned to face the other calmly, refusing to allow his anxiety to surface. As much as Orochimaru's aloof attitude bothered him, he wasn't about to let the San'nin know that. This was still a game for control; he was sure of it. And he portrayed his understanding through his own indifferent reply. "I apologize, my lord. I was just finishing up. Now, what can I do for you?"

"I have a mission for you," the leader of the Sound answered impassively, "And I want you to take it on immediately. No questions."

Kabuto was taken slightly aback by the way the order was issued. His master was treating him as little more than one of the Sound's many Jounins now. To say he was offended by the notion would have been a gross understatement. Yet when he opened his mouth to retaliate, Orochimaru's eyes narrowed dangerously, promising pain for whatever words were about to be uttered. Kabuto shut his mouth obediently, knowing that Orochimaru's unspoken threat was anything but empty.

The murderous intent faded slightly at his medic's compliance, the pale man pressing on with his almost monotone explanation. "I have another spy residing in Konoha, and I need you to rendezvous with him on the outskirts of the village. He should have several reports for you by now, and I'll need you to pass some of them on to our allies in Rain country. They're expecting them within the next four days. Do _not_ fail me in this, Kabuto. These reports could very well make or break our relations with their hidden village."

Getting from their current location to Konoha would take Kabuto a significant amount of time, and from Konoha to Rain country's hidden village was essentially the same distance. Yet he was expected to do it in four days. Biting back as much of his indignant and affronted tone as he could, Kabuto pointed out, "Four days is hardly a reasonable amount of time, Lord Orochimaru. Especially for only one person. If you could arrange for me to meet with a representative…"

Orochimaru had closed the distance between them with frightening speed, slapping the younger man solidly across the face, sending Kabuto's glasses skittering across the lab's sterile tiled floor and sufficiently ceasing the medic's arguments. "I said no questions, Kabuto," the San'nin snarled, slender hand still poised to strike the other man should it be needed, "And that means you don't question my methods. Now go."

The man had _hit _him. Kabuto couldn't remember the last time Orochimaru had actually _struck_ him and he found himself paralyzed more from shock than pain. Shakily, he nodded his head, carefully slipping away from the older man to retrieve his glasses. They hadn't broken, luckily, and he slid them gingerly back onto his face. He could feel the angry sting of the no doubt reddened mark on his face, and directed his chakra to flow to the minor injury. The last thing he needed was a mark of his insolence and slip in favor with Orochimaru.

Golden eyes tracked each and every one of Kabuto's movements, the anger there dying down to a low simmer. It was clear that his patience was worn thin, and that he was less than willing to tolerate any of Kabuto's excuses or dawdling. Before the medic had even fully composed himself, Orochimaru had tossed a bag of supplies and weapons towards the platinum haired youth, wordlessly dismissing Kabuto from his presence. The younger of the two had no choice; he bowed his submission and stepped out, heading down the long dark halls towards the exit.

It was late, the sun having fallen some hours ago, brilliant stars dotting the black canvas of the warm night sky. Four days. Ninety six hours. That wasn't near enough time for anyone of average skill. Which meant Kabuto probably was the only one who could do it. Nevertheless, the oto'nin would have to cut back on sleep, possibly having to go without, and would need more than one food pill in order to keep his chakra at an acceptable level. Kabuto sighed heavily; perhaps picking a fight with Orochimaru hadn't been the best idea.

However, the surgeon was more than aware of his time limit and wouldn't waste any more of it than was absolutely necessary. He took a quick inventory of the supply bag's contents, making sure there was enough of everything to get him through the next eight days. It was sketchy, but if he was careful, he'd be able to stretch it out. Orochimaru really was testing Kabuto's merit with this one, the notion drawing a bitter laugh from the medic's lips. He _would_ complete this mission, and would rub it in the other man's face for as long as he could when he did. The San'nin's oversized ego needed deflating every now and again.

Hence began one of the longest missions of Kabuto's life. He'd taken the minimal head start Orochimaru had allowed for him, heading out as soon as he'd double checked the supplies he'd been so unceremoniously given. Having had the past three days to himself, Kabuto was far from lacking in sleep, and knew he could run on less than most people, easily managing to cover ground throughout the remainder of the evening and well into the following day. It was a horrendously uneventful trip, the forest blurring into nothing but wisps of green passing the oto'nin by. He didn't even encounter anyone noteworthy. Nothing but the occasional traveling merchant, the rare sighting of one of Otogakure's border patrol ninjas, and - much less frequently - a lost village citizen wandering aimlessly. It wasn't until Kabuto arrived at the borderline between Rice Field country and Fire country that he encountered his first actual problem.

Konoha had stationed two, stoic, well armed Jounin at the border, clearly anticipating Orochimaru to make _some _kind of an attempt at a crossing. It was a shame that Fire country held so little respect for the rest of the world. The experienced oto'nin, however, wasn't one to be spotted by those of lower rank than himself, taking up a silent perch in a tree just shy of where the Jounin stood. He had two options; he could kill them and potentially risk provoking a reaction from Konoha, or he could attempt a genjutsu and hope that neither of them were skilled at dispelling them. Both had their possibly disastrous outcomes, but only one of them didn't immediately threaten his _own_ safety. Besides, it's not like Konoha and Otogakure were on good terms.

With one swift and well placed exploding tag kunai, Kabuto had gotten rid of his enemies in short time, taking grim pleasure as he watched them blow into several, de-limbed pieces. It was his usual style to be quiet so…loud about his killings, but Orochimaru had packed an ungodly amount of the ridiculous tags, and the medic wanted to be through with them where they would attract the least amount of attention. Here on the border, there wasn't likely to be too many more around, at least not close enough to hear the explosion. By the time anyone found the bodies, Kabuto would be long gone; and he wasn't one to leave any evidence to incriminate himself or the Sound village. All things considered, Konoha would really have nothing to go on that would validate an outright attack against them.

Comfortably content with the success of his mission so far, the medic pressed on quietly, moving across the border without any real hesitation. This country had once been his home, had been - for a large portion of his childhood - where he was raised. Even Sasori had left him _in_ Konoha. That is, until the puppet master had decided to hand the boy off to Orochimaru as a spy. The foolish mistake had cost Sasori dearly, and had bettered Kabuto's life significantly. For the first time in his life, the silver haired medic had been given the freedom of his own mind. The powerful San'nin had no immediate demand for the boy's presence, and hence had given Kabuto the choice to stay or leave. This had intrigued the young surgeon and he'd opted to stay, observing Orochimaru's ways of doing things, ready to get out if things got out of hand. Yet, as the time passed by, Kabuto had found himself more and more enthralled by the other's power and influence. And the man's unique way of doing things, his total lack of any real moral boundaries and smooth manipulative actions, kept the oto'nin fascinated, gradually building to the complete loyalty he held to the snake lord and the snake lord alone. Yes; having been given to this man as a child had been one of the best things to ever occur in Kabuto's short life. Well…up until lately.

Kabuto quickly shook off his mild lapse of awareness and set his mind back at the task on hand. His conflicting emotions about Orochimaru could wait. As it was, he still had a lot of ground to cover and he was already nearing the halfway point of his first day, the well named Valley of the End looming ahead of him. He had to stay fairly sharp. There was only one way to cross the valley, only one bridge spanning the massive gorge. And regardless of its usual lack of patrolling ninjas, Kabuto held a kunai tightly in hand. Since Sasuke's willing transfer from Konoha to Otogakure, the Leaf ninjas had been less than kind around their connected borders.

Yet luck seemed to be on Kabuto's side, the young man making the crossing without so much as the sighting of another individual. Within minutes, the oto'nin found himself shrouded back in the dense woods of Fire country, swiftly taking to the branches and picking up his pace as best he could. He was officially in enemy territory, and people here knew his face. Furthermore, they didn't take kindly to him; particularly not after his key role in the destruction of Konoha during the Chunin exams.

Surprisingly, Kabuto's luck held out, the first night falling with no further conflict than the brief run-in with the Jounins earlier. Even that was hardly enough to be called a conflict. The oto'nin hopped down from the tree branch he found himself perched on, quickly checking the perimeter. There was no sign of anyone near him, no immediate chakra signatures that he could detect and no obvious traps in the area. This was as good a place to make camp as any. After all, he'd covered more ground than he'd anticipated and would need the quick replenishment of his energy. Just three or four hours, that's all he needed.

The young medic dug around in the supply bag he'd been given and found a small timer. At least Orochimaru had had the sense to pack that. Clicking the dial to sit on three and a half hours, Kabuto tucked it back in the bag, setting it gently on top of the various other items. He wasn't a naturally heavy sleeper, though, so even if something _did_ come up, there was very little chance that he would be in any real danger. The timer was simply a precaution. The last thing Kabuto needed was to waste what precious little time he'd been allotted. He stretched out languidly before sliding down to prop himself against the thick trunk of a tree, his dark eyes sliding shut. He'd be up before the sun, and well on his way to meeting with Orochimaru's spy.

As it happened, Kabuto awoke several minutes before the timer was due to go off, yawning sleepily and taking a moment to rub tiredly at his eyes. He could feel the faint restoration of his body's strength and chakra flow, smiling to himself at the speed with which he could recover. It was no wonder he was as good as he was. Now if only Orochimaru would realize that…Convincing himself to forget his superior until he managed to return to Otogakure, Kabuto pulled himself to his feet, rummaging into his bag to retrieve and turn off the timer. He didn't need it going off anymore.

However, in the midst of tucking the thing away again, a shuriken whipped past the young oto'nin's face, causing Kabuto to snap back and slide quickly behind one of the forest's many oversized trees. Whoever had thrown it wasn't a ninja of any decent caliber. Not only had their attack missed by several inches, but they had no discernable chakra signature. And it wasn't their hiding it either. Kabuto would have detected _something_ on the projectile if that had been the case. That meant whoever it was, was some pitiful bounty hunter out for one of Konoha's most wanted. How quaint.

"I'm in no mood to hurt you," the medic called out around the tree, easily masking the location of his voice. "I suggest you turn around and go back the way you came. There's no need for you to die here."

A callous scoff was the only answer Kabuto was given, the sound still preventing gender or age identification. Oh how he hated these arrogant pricks. And he didn't particularly like killing first thing after waking up either. Perhaps a severed muscle or two would teach the fool a lesson.

Promptly taking to the trees once again, Kabuto fished a kunai blade out of the supply bag before hanging it on a nearby branch. There would be no need for explosive tags this time around. What was one pitiful bounty hunter in the grand scheme of things? They weren't even deserving of that much. The medic was sadistically bent on teaching whoever the person was just why you didn't tangle with Orochimaru's right hand man.

Kabuto took a moment to remind himself that he was sorely pressed for time, only really having the fifteen minutes that he'd managed to gain on his alarm. Five had already passed. That left him with ten solid minutes to deal with whoever had been stupid enough to come after him, more than enough time. Kunai clutched comfortably in his hand, the medic scanned the area, searching out any source of movement that wasn't supposed to be there. Within seconds his trained eyes detected a shift in the bushes mere feet from where he'd slept, a twisted smile spreading across his young features. This person truly was an amateur. The oto'nin almost felt bad for what he was about to do to the eager individual; almost.

In one smooth, practiced, motion, Kabuto had swept down onto his opponent, swiftly disarming them and pinning them to the ground, his own blade poised against their throat. Yet, before he had done any actual damage, the young medic stilled his hand. This was no bounty hunter; it was little more than a child. Large brown eyes stared up in a mixture of fright and hatred, tiny hands clenched at the boy's sides, digging into the dirt. He couldn't have been more than twelve years old.

Kabuto's mind raced. Now what was he supposed to do? He couldn't very well assault a _child_. That was low even for him. But the kid had attacked him first, had been trying to _kill_ him. In all his years of service to Orochimaru, he'd never had to make a decision like this. Sure, he'd entered in the Chunin exams and _messed_ with twelve year olds, but he'd, never had to kill one. What was the point?

"What are you waiting for?!" the trapped child snapped angrily, his voice still possessing the almost feminine quality of youth. "Are you just going to sit there or kill me the way you did my parents?!"

The medic's mind ceased immediately, his dark eyes locking with the child's brown ones. "Your…parents?" The question was barely uttered, little more than an exhalation. He was confused, lost. By Orochimaru's side, he'd been the harbinger of death for many, and neither he nor his master had ever considered the consequences. Hell, they hadn't _cared_. They simply did what needed to be done, whether it was for research, political, or personal reasons didn't matter. But this was the first time that he'd ever been forced to face someone that they'd left behind.

Spitting furiously at the older boy, the child squirmed and shouted, "Yes, you son of a bitch! My _parents_!! You and your bastard of a master swept into our village with promises of saving us, of prosper and money! You said all you needed was workers, volunteers!! And now where are they?! WHERE ARE THEY?!" The small body had begun to tremble, rocked with sobs. Large, pitiful tears streaked the child's face, though he kept his eyes locked with Kabuto's, the malice there still as evident as the sun rising on the horizon. "You _killed_ them!"

Kabuto was hesitating for the first time in three years. Of course he didn't remember what the child was prattling about. How was he expected to remember every stupid little village that he and Orochimaru perused for viable test subjects? Yet this child had remembered him, had known him and called him out almost immediately. He wasn't here for Konoha; he was here for himself. He wanted revenge. He wanted what Sasuke wanted. Pity and anger flashing quickly in Kabuto's face and he tightened his hold on the kunai's familiar handle, pressing the blade closer to the younger man's throat. Weakness was not an option for someone in his position.

"And what if I did kill them?" he sneered heartlessly, "Did you stop me? Did you tell them, then, that they shouldn't have gone with us? They came of their own free will, child, and died of it as well." With his free hand, Kabuto reached back and severed the boy's right thigh muscle, taking grim pleasure in the agonized scream his victim released. The oto'nin then took up the young boy's hand and slashed a thin line across the palm, squeezing until blood was oozing from the wound. Callously, he then slid to his feet, staring coldly down at his young attacker. He'd wasted too much time as it was.

Kicking dirt into the boy's tear streaked face, Kabuto scoffed heartlessly, "You'd best get moving. You're going to be limping for the rest of your life and, if you don't get that cleaned and bandaged, your blood is bound to attract something much less pleasant than myself." He ignored the terrified gasp the boy gave, ignored the saddening attempts that the defeated youth made to stand. Instead, he slipped his blade away and took back to the trees, easily locating the supply pouch and heading back out on his way. There'd be no sleep for him tonight; he couldn't afford it, nor did he want it.

The remainder of his second day went by with more activity than the day before, but nothing that would stand out in Kabuto's mind as much as the child. The other opponents he came across were fought off almost automatically, the medic's mind barely registering their presence. He used whatever his hands found first, be it a kunai, an explosive tag, a wave of shuriken, or his own chakra dissection blade. Anything to dispel his enemies from his sights, to destroy them as quickly and easily as possible. And as he drew closer to Konoha, skill of his adversaries increased. It would take gradually more time and effort to be rid of them, but still none could demand his full attention. Before the medic had even realized it, he'd arrived on the outskirts of town, the sun falling below the horizon just beyond Konoha's large wooden gates.

To his left, Kabuto heard someone move, his body reacting on its own as he quickly armed himself and turned toward his possible attacker. Except it wasn't a ninja that came stumbling out of the bushes; it was a simple, worn down traveling merchant. Their eyes met briefly, the oto'nin still poised to kill the man should he try anything, when the vendor reached back into one of his many bags and produced a small trinket that Kabuto recognized to be Orochimaru's seal. This man was the spy he was supposed to be meeting with.

Slipping his weapon away, Kabuto smiled wryly, not altogether comfortable with this person just yet. "Lord Orochimaru sent me to get some reports. I assume you have them for me?" He kept his tone formal, his voice level. He was still sorely pressed for time and didn't feel like wasting it on empty chit chat. The sooner he got what was needed, the better.

"You must be Yakushi Kabuto," the other, older man said warmly, clearly ignoring the younger man's cold greeting. "I was told I would be meeting with one of the best. Such a pleasure to meet you."

Kabuto's obsidian eyes narrowed dangerously and he brushed the other's offered hand away. "I'm in a bit of a hurry and I would appreciate it if you simply did your job." He paused for a moment, a cruel smile contorting his young face. "Or do you not have them? Because I could understand your dawdling if you were to have _failed_ Lord Orochimaru."

The man's face turned sour and he seemed to curl away from the silver haired surgeon. The merchant then reached into his bag and rummaged through his wares before producing a large, brown envelope. Hesitantly, he glanced at it and Kabuto, clearly debating whether giving the information away so quickly was worth it. One more flash of the medic's sadistic grin, and the envelope was thrust forward. It appeared that Kabuto's intimidation tactics still worked as well as ever.

Offering a mock bow of his appreciation, Kabuto tucked the envelope and its contents into his own bag of supplies, adding nonchalantly, "I'll be sure to let Lord Orochimaru know of your success when I return to him. I'm certain he'll be pleased." If, that is, you managed to get the right information, he thought bitterly. Should these reports not be what the Rain village was looking for, then this poor man's days were shortly numbered. However, that was none of Kabuto's concern. His own neck was on the line as it was.

Kabuto made no effort to see where the lesser spy went afterwards, to see how the man would make his way back into Konoha. The sky was already darkening with the onset of evening and he had half his journey left. He wouldn't be able to sleep this time around, not even for a fleeting three hours. He could rest all he wanted once the reports had been delivered. So without wasting another moment, the young oto'nin took to the trees, knowing that the farther he got from the Leaf village, the fewer people he'd have trying to kill him.

Unfortunately, it would be several long hours before the number patrolling ninjas thinned out, costing Kabuto more of his already dwindling stamina. The amount of weapons he had at his disposal was dropping quicker than he'd anticipated, and he found himself fighting one-on-one with more than a few irritable Leaf Jounins. By the time the medic was actually free from ongoing ambushes and attempts on his life, his glasses were bent, the right lens cracked, he had various cuts and lacerations on his face and arms, the worst of which he'd taken the time to heal, and his muscles were beginning to ache. He was halfway to the small village known as Border Town, an aptly named outpost just shy of the border between Fire country and Rain country. He'd need to take a soldier pill if he intended to make it without collapsing.

Holding his progress to rummage through his pack, his eyes fell on the sealed envelope. Just what kind of information could Orochimaru possibly be wanting to pass on to the Hidden Rain Village? The man never had specified just what these 'reports' would entail, just that Kabuto had to obtain and deliver them. It wasn't like the San'nin to be so vague with details. But then, it wasn't like the _medic_ to have outright attacked his master. Glancing around - he wasn't sure why, it was more habit than anything -, Kabuto took the envelope from the bag and carefully broke the seal. It wasn't something he couldn't fix later. It was hardly anything. He then thumbed through the pages without removing them, simply taking a quick count of how many there were. It looked to be about half a dozen, none of them appearing official.

"Just what are you keeping from me?" the oto'nin mumbled to himself as he gingerly extracted the papers. He could feel a heady feeling of excitement as he so openly went against Orochimaru. The older man didn't have spies seal envelopes for nothing, and yet here he was tearing it open for the sake of his insatiable curiosity. However, when he finally managed to free them, Kabuto's building amusement plummeted and was replaced by outright fury. The papers were _blank_!! They were _fakes_!!

However, as the irate medic went to tear them up and hunt down the alleged spy and kill him for this blatant betrayal, a small slip of paper fell from between the sheets, almost drifting out of reach and to the ground had it not been for Kabuto's quick reflexes. It was a note. On it was written what looked like indiscernible gibberish, a mixture of letters, numbers, and crudely scribbled symbols. It had to be some kind of code. Kabuto snorted irritably. No doubt whatever the slip of paper said would allow whoever understood it to actually _read_ the sheets of information. Count on Orochimaru to hire someone who could encode messages in ways that only the intended receiver could interpret. Did his master really have that little faith in him? Stopping, Kabuto flushed slightly, staring at the papers in his hands and the open envelope that sat atop his supply bag. For all his offense, he'd proven Orochimaru's distrust was well founded, and he found himself suddenly disgusted by his own actions.

Kabuto hurriedly slid everything back the way he'd found them, sealing the envelope easily enough and tucking it back into the emptying bag. He then located the food pills he'd initially been looking for, popped one in his mouth, and slung everything over his shoulder once again. Against the horizon, the sun was beginning to peak again, the dark violets and blues of the night sky bleeding into stunning reds and oranges. The third day was starting, and he was only just reaching the halfway point. He would have to push himself harder still.

The sudden boost in his faded chakra levels healed the remaining cuts on Kabuto's body immediately and allowed him to move swiftly through the trees. Even his physical exhaustion faded slightly. It paid to be a medical ninja on more than one occasion. The opponents he encountered were taken care of quickly and appearing less frequently, both with the distance and the passing of the day's long hours. Their levels of skill began to decline as well, Konoha's well trained Jounin quickly being replaced by the shoddy ninjas of the country's small villages. By the time night had fallen, he'd run out of most of his weapons and Border Town was just beginning to loom on the horizon.

It was a quaint enough area, and by the time he'd arrived, his ration pill's effect was beginning to ware off. He slumped down onto the branch and leaned heavily against the thick trunk, thinking over just where he was. Border Town was only a couple hours away from Rain country's border, and their hidden village was probably just under a day's worth of travel in. With one more food pill, and hopefully no more run-ins with unpleasant individuals, Kabuto would make the meet time almost perfectly. The key aspect was, however, that he not be delayed at all.

Carefully pulling himself back to his feet, Kabuto shook off his exhaustion and took several long, deep breaths. His head swam for a moment and he put a hand out to steady himself against the thick trunk of the tree. He closed his eyes and focused his dwindling chakra flow into his leg muscles. They were beginning to get stiff. Three straight days without proper rest or time to heal himself as well as he'd like to was starting to take its toll. He knew that, on the way back to Otogakure, he would take his time. Orochimaru had said to _deliver_ the papers in four days. He hadn't specified when he expected the boy to return. And if the older ninja was so eager to throw him out, then Kabuto would take the time to enjoy his time out. Not that he could leave the powerful man on his own for too long. Not after what had happened last time.

The young oto'nin pulled out the second soldier pill from the supply bag and took it down, letting out a low exhalation before collecting the bag once again. He waited for the pill to take effect before setting out once again. It was harder for him to make progress as quickly as he'd have liked to in the dark, particularly with the one lens of his glasses still broken, the small crack having gradually spider-webbed out. The boy couldn't help but debate whether it was even worth keeping them on any more.

At night, there were fewer attacks, most patrol ninjas opting to rest through the evening. That was something one would never see in Rice Field country. Orochimaru did not tolerate slack security. Wherever there was to be a patrol group, there would be anywhere from three to eight ninjas, ranging from Chunin to Jounin level. Each one of them had a scheduled shift in which they'd stay awake and keep watch. It was a good system, and generally stopped any would be invasions or reconnaissance missions. Such precautions were due mainly to Orochimaru's paranoia, something that seemed to go unnoticed even to the powerful San'nin. Sometimes, Kabuto couldn't help but think that he knew the man better than the man knew himself. And it was an intriguing notion.

The remainder of Kabuto's journey ticked by with very little incident, the medic more than thankful for it. He was not a wanted criminal in Rain country, and so the attacks practically ceased altogether. He'd run in to a couple of irritated villagers, some of them recalling him the same way the child had, but none of them had posed an actual threat to his health. He'd dispersed them all with ease, not aiming to kill any of them lest more bitter feelings fester in the villages he couldn't remember the names nor locations of.

Before he knew it, Kabuto found himself standing on the outskirts of Rain's hidden village, the gates looming before him. The medic knew he must have looked like a mess; he'd been going for nearly four straight days without any form of rest, sporadic attacks on his life, and chakra levels that were spiking and falling dangerously due to the influence of the repeated ingestion of ration pills. But he'd made it on time, the representative he was meeting with clearly impressed by this feat.

"So you're the one Orochimaru sent, are you?" the large, burly man questioned almost cynically, "He seems to enjoy recruiting children and having them do his dirty work."

Kabuto narrowed his eyes slightly at the derogatory way the brutish man referred to his master. However, as he was acting as a representative in a potentially beneficial alliance conversation, the oto'nin humbled his tone as best he could. "Yes, I was sent here by Lord Orochimaru. But I can assure you that I'm no child, and that my master has plenty of older people in his employ." He raised his eyes from the small, habitual, bow that he'd offered. "Am I to assume that you're the one who needs this information?"

The man snorted contemptuously, glaring down at the silver haired youth. "No, but I'm the one that was chosen to receive and deliver it. Now give me the reports and you can be on your way." The orders were given curtly. Clearly, this man didn't trust Kabuto at all. As well he shouldn't. At least the Rain ninjas weren't as dense as the Leaf ninjas.

Digging through his bag, Kabuto produced the envelope but held it just shy of the other's outstretched hand. "Before I give this to you," the medic pointed out matter-of-factly, "I'll need some form of proof that this information _did_, in fact, reach your hands on time, and a means to contact you…without this much trouble."

The large Rain ninja seemed openly taken aback by Kabuto's calmly stated demands and scoffed huffily, turning to go through his own bag. From this, he pulled another envelope, very much like the one the silver haired medic was holding out. "Here. This was the information we intended to exchange with you. In it, you will find confirmation of our understanding and of the validity of this transaction. I assume that's enough for you and your _master_?"

Kabuto offered the man one of his best, faked, smiles of innocence, happily exchanging envelopes. Giving one last mock bow, the medic bid the man farewell. "It was a pleasure doing business with you, sir, and I hope that our respective villages will come to a favorable agreement."

He then turned curtly on his heel, for all intensive purposes heading back towards Border Town. It was clear he wasn't going to be offered a resting place here. He couldn't see _why_ Orochimaru wanted to ally with these inconsiderate people so badly, but he didn't bother questioning the politics behind it all. He simply took comforting solace in the fact that the journey back would be significantly shorter, spanning probably only two or three days, with allowed resting periods. At the thought of returning home, a twisted smile spread across Kabuto's young face. He couldn't _wait_ to rub his success in his master's smug face.

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_And. We. Are. Still. Going. Please review, even though I know it's worse than the others. Damn filler chapters._


	6. Chapter 6

_AGH!! I am so so so so sorry for how late this is!! I totally should have had it up two days ago. But it turns out this holiday reprieve back to my old hometown is not giving me the amount of free computer time that I had first anticipated. It's like my family actually wants to spend time with me. Weird. I guess that's what happens when you go off to university for four months and come back for three weeks. O~h well. _

_But yes! Aside from the holidays eating away at my typing time, I have managed to get stuff done! BEHOLD CHAPTER 6!! Yes, it's a tad shorter than usual...Whatever. Chapter 5 was longer. So they even out. Anyway, there's some more adult content in this particular chapter, so if you don't like it, please don't read it. Ok? Ok. Enjoy chapter 6~! I'll try to be faster with chapter 7. _

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For all its size and alleged influence, Fire country proved to be highly lacking it its outer limits' security. All of the smaller, unmapped villages were left to fend for themselves, their 'protection' coming from the working local men, armed only with their crude farming tools. None of these country men posed anything near a threat to the oto'nin, and the boy didn't feel the need to even kill them. All-in-all, Kabuto faced down a total of eleven opponents on the five day return journey; of which only five were actual trained ninjas. And only one of _those_ had given the young medic anything even akin to trouble.

Having used a surprising amount of weaponry and supplies on the journey in, Kabuto decided to restock in Border Town. It was a small enough place - and far enough away from Konoha - that he had assumed he'd be able to get away with the brief visit. Unfortunately, _someone_ had clearly recognized him, and the resident ANBU agent had moved in. The silver haired oto'nin hadn't expected the Leaf village to supply such a small town with a member of the Black Ops. However, it was a town sitting near the border of a potentially enemy country…in hindsight, it really did make sense. Nevertheless, Kabuto hadn't been suspecting the attack and had been caught off guard. Yet life didn't seem to be entirely against the boy as he'd been in the process of restocking anyway, leading to a fairly quick resolution. Kabuto didn't have the time to savor his victory, or completely heal the few wounds he'd sustained, however, as there was no way of knowing how quickly word of his location had spread.

Aside from that initial conflict, the medic's return journey went over relatively quietly, all other adversaries being disposed of quickly and discretely. By the end of it all, the boy had wounded more than he'd killed, and the majority of the injuries inflicted would by no means be fatal. After all, killing mindless and frightened villagers wasn't something that particularly appealed to the oto'nin.

Nonetheless, as Kabuto saw the entrance to the latest location that he was calling home looming ahead of him, he found his tired and aching body longing for the delicious relaxation a warm shower promised. Besides, the oto'nin hardly wanted to face Orochimaru the way he currently was. Half broken glasses, tangled and dirty hair, dirt covered and torn clothing, and exhaustion written on his young face hardly portrayed the confident air the boy needed to face his master's ego. Even when he was clean - at least to a greater extent than what he was now - the snide San'nin would criticize his appearance. The man could find _anything_ to complain about. No; for this report, Kabuto would leave no detail overlooked. Orochimaru would have no choice but to finally give the younger man the recognition he deserved. Even if he had to force it out of the snake manipulator.

Trudging down the into the dimly lit halls of Otogakure's newest location, the silver haired surgeon had to take a pause to allow his dark eyes to adjust. Going from mid-afternoon sunlight to the minimal lighting Orochimaru's favored candles provided was hard on the sight. Kabuto made a note to himself to, once again, remind the older man that better forms of lighting were available. Hell, the oto'nin had some in his lab, having refused to attempt any kind of surgery in the pitiful amount of light candles provided.

Once his vision had corrected itself accordingly, Kabuto pushed all thoughts of décor changes to the further recesses of his mind. That was hardly his main concern at the moment. He had to make it to the shower undetected, and from there to his room. He'd never been quite so happy that he could mask his chakra signature as well as he could.

As he reached one of the smaller, more private, showering rooms, Kabuto swiftly closed and locked the door behind him. He then set to work meticulously putting his travel gear in one pile and his clothing in another. The last things he set aside were his damaged spectacles and the roughly tattered hair elastic. These he put on the counter by the sink, more out of habit than anything. After all, he certainly didn't plan on wearing them again. Once the young oto'nin had stripped down, he slid into the shower stall gingerly, turning the tap to the temperature he desired.

The hot water felt more than amazing as it cascaded over Kabuto's sore muscles, easing the built up tension out of him faster than most treatments he administered to himself. After nine days without such luxuries the medic had nearly forgotten just how good it could feel. But his memory was fast returning to him and he found himself in no hurry to seek out his master just yet. Instead, the young man let out a long, contented, sigh and leaned against the steadily warming tile wall, his dark eyes sliding shut as he simply surrendered himself to the feeling of water on his body. He didn't even begin the process of washing all the grime from his body just yet. He had all the time he wanted.

Kabuto couldn't recall, later, just how much time had actually elapsed when what he thought was a locked door was unceremoniously thrown open. Instinctively, the medic fled deeper into the stall, moving away from the intruder. The steam that had built up in the room, paired with the oto'nin's lack of glasses, made it impossible to tell just _who_ it was that had so rudely disturbed him. All he could see of whoever it was, was an indefinable colored blur. However, the voice that slid like silk through the heavily steamed air was all the confirmation Kabuto needed to determine the other's identity.

"So, you think you can just come back from one of the most important missions I've sent you on and _not_ report to me when you arrive back. Is that it, Kabuto?" Orochimaru, for all that he sounded unimpressed, still had that subtle hint of amusement to his rich voice. Clearly, the man's anger from nine days ago was forgotten, and it set the medic's mind at ease.

Shifting uncomfortably in the shower, Kabuto made a point to make sure he stayed out of his master's line of sight. He still couldn't understand the older man's lack of personal space understanding. "No, that's not it Lord Orochimaru. I was simply cleaning myself so I could be more presentable when I _did_ report back to you." It wasn't a lie. It was simply missing details. And his tone wouldn't give that away.

The older man snorted, unimpressed. "Like I care how you look. Now finish up. I don't have all day."

Frowning, Kabuto regarded the shapeless blur that was the powerful San'nin and replied with mild confusion. "Of course, my lord. But…I'd greatly appreciate it if you would be so kind as to allow me to finish my shower on my own, as well as to stop over in my room for a cleaner set of clothes." That the pale beauty was watching the boy's every move unnerved him. He'd forgotten just how badly he had it for his merciless leader.

Orochimaru took several steps closer, forcing Kabuto to back away to stand against the far wall of the shower stall, the younger man's face flushed faintly. "Kabuto, I'm in no mood to sit around waiting for you to come to me at your leisure. Finish cleaning yourself and get out." The snake lord's voice had lost its humor at a frightening speed, the man's tone and posture dictating that it was in the medic's best interest to simply do as he was told.

"As you wish," the platinum haired oto'nin mumbled, releasing a shaky sigh and taking up the task at hand. He couldn't shake the upsetting feeling of Orochimaru's eyes on his back, the serpentine orbs easily cutting through the steam that hung in the small room. Kabuto was a naturally private person, always one to watch, never to display. And yet, of late, everything he did seemed to be under scrutiny. It was as if Orochimaru was testing him, judging the boy's reactions to certain environments and situations. Why now of all times? It was an odd turn for the older man to take.

Hurrying through the process of cleaning himself, Kabuto slipped an arm out past the shower curtain, groping around blindly for the towel he'd set out earlier. What he got, instead, was his master's firm grip on his wrist, roughly and forcibly pulling the younger man from the shower stall. Kabuto gave a short sound of surprise, more than a little caught off guard by Orochimaru's sudden hold. In another smooth motion, the San'nin easily wrapped a towel around the stunned medic's waist, taking up another just as quickly and throwing it across Kabuto's head. It all happened so abruptly that the oto'nin hadn't had a chance to say a word, and the first conscious thought he had was that he couldn't see past the towel.

A rough rubbing on the top of the boy's head reminded him of Orochimaru's presence, coldly spoken words following the bizarre action. "Dry your hair off at the very least, Kabuto. I don't want you dripping all over my floor," he scolded. For all that the man was the boy's master, he often times came across more like an irritable parent. Not that Kabuto would ever voice that particular opinion. The merciless snake lord had something of a temper, particularly when it came to talk of family.

"Lord Orochimaru, could I at least return to my room to properly dress myself before we talk?" Kabuto asked with a touch of exasperation, taking up the tedious task of drying his mess of silver hair. He really didn't want to have to face the San'nin in his old, tattered, clothes. He'd gone to such painful lengths to try and sneak in to avoid that very situation.

Orochimaru grunted impatiently at the boy's tone and statement, clearly less than pleased with the younger man's response. "What part of my not having all day do you not seem to understand?" he grumbled, his captivating voice alluding to something akin to restrained violence. "Just come as you are. It's not like you have anything I haven't already seen."

The young oto'nin was suddenly very glad that the towel was obscuring his face from view, as an almost instant and overwhelming heat swept through his body. His first instinct was the lash out defensively, to vehemently point out that simply because they were built the same didn't mean that he didn't want some privacy every now and again. However, his logical way of thinking quickly stopped that before it could begin, Kabuto managing to reply calmly, "That may be true, my lord, but I really think--"

Clearly, what Kabuto thought didn't matter. Orochimaru had obviously lost patience with the medic's dawdling and complaining, and had taken hold of one of the boy's wrists, dragging him roughly behind him. Kabuto just barely managed to state of mind to hurriedly grab his supply pouch before being mercilessly pulled along behind his master. He found himself wondering how the snake lord had gotten anything done with such a temperament before Kabuto had come of age. The boy highly doubted others took as well to this kind of forcefulness as he did.

The pair of them reached Orochimaru's large room in a short time, the pale man practically throwing Kabuto in ahead of him before closing the ornate wooden doors behind himself. For a moment, the younger of the two stumbled, trying to both maintain his footing as well as keep the towel around his waist from going anywhere. It was trickier than he'd thought. Yet he managed to stay upright, and quickly turned to face Orochimaru, damp, silver hair and a lack of glasses making the task a touch harder than it should have been.

As he rounded on his master though, all words Kabuto wanted to say died on his lips as he was immediately caught in the near hypnotizing golden stare that was so intently locked on him. Something about the way Orochimaru was looking at him frightened the boy, and an involuntary shiver ran through his body. Heat washed up his chest and settled on his face, his heart rate picked up, the intensity and scrutiny of the older man's stare impacting Kabuto in ways he hadn't thought possible. He became acutely aware that his appearance was far from what he'd wanted it to be, and was something the other man didn't see very often. And that it would fascinate someone as stunning as Orochimaru made the young medic squirm uncomfortably.

"Well…I'm waiting, Kabuto." The San'nin's words broke through the wall of silence that had seemed to go up between them, causing the boy's head to snap up sharply. There was a distinct change in the other's tone, but Kabuto couldn't place it. Part of him was afraid to place it.

Pausing for a moment, Kabuto glanced down at the pouch in his hand. Maybe that was what had held Orochimaru's attention so strongly…yes. That had to be it. After all, it's contents had been the reason the oto'nin hadn't been allowed to finish his shower at his own comfortable pace. Rummaging through it for a moment - the effort made that much more difficult by his unassisted vision - Kabuto managed to find the envelope he'd been given and held it out for Orochimaru. "They gave me this in exchange for the reports," he muttered softly, "And I regrettably admit that I wasn't able to make sure our half got through to their leader, though I doubt they'd do otherwise."

Orochimaru gave no sign of moving, eyes still focused almost obsessively on Kabuto. Slowly, they slid away from the younger man's gaze to the envelope that was offered to him. He blinked uninterestedly. "Did you read them yet, Kabuto?" The question was offhanded, just barely directed at the other.

"R-read them? Why would I do that? I was told they were for you…" To say that Kabuto was confused would have grossly simplified the matter. He had an understanding that his master would doubt the boy's ability to keep his curiosity under control, but he'd never known the man to be one to say as much. Besides, after the first set of papers had been clearly encoded, the medic simply hadn't bothered with the second.

The dark haired man tilted his head, frowning slightly. "You mean to say that you simply assumed they weren't some kind of trap, designed to activate at the touch of my own chakra signature? That you didn't make sure they weren't fakes?" Orochimaru's voice was still soft, but the tone was reprimanding yet again. He was treating the oto'nin like a lesser subordinate once more, indifferent and critical.

Kabuto shook his head slightly, his own frown coming to mar his young face. "I…hadn't thought of that," he mumbled apologetically, his hand tightening on the envelope that he still held, "I suppose I should do that now then."

"Why bother?" Orochimaru replied sharply, halting the oto'nin's movements to open the envelope. The powerful man then stalked forward quietly, one tapered hand lashing out to take the envelope before the younger of the two could stop it. Seemingly bored golden eyes glanced the object over, a soft exhalation the only sound in the room before the snake lord spoke. "So far so good," he teased derisively, flicking his gaze up to capture Kabuto's once more.

Holding his breath involuntarily, the medic could do little more than watch tensely as the other's graceful fingers worked the envelope open with practiced ease. How could he have been so foolish? He had been so caught up in proving his worth to his master, that he'd failed to do even the most basic of security checks before bringing a foreign object to the dangerous criminal that he called his lord. And yet something in Orochimaru's countenance - regardless of the scolding tone he'd taken with the boy - indicated amusement. It was as if the snake lord knew a secret that was far too much fun by simply keeping it from Kabuto.

The San'nin was no longer looking at his personal medic, although was still standing almost indecently close to him. So close, that the boy could smell the distinct and familiar scent that he attributed to Orochimaru. Yet his mind was on other things, and the surgeon wasn't given the opportunity to enjoy the scent as he usually did. The soft sound of papers being flipped through seemed to echo deafeningly as Kabuto feared the worst, his dark eyes fixed on his master's face, searching for any trace of anger or disappointment.

Long, agonizing, minutes passed between them, the older of the two giving no direct sign of anything in particular, Kabuto shifting his weight uncomfortably from one foot to the other. His bare skin was painfully aware of the chill state Orochimaru's room was in, and he could feel the steady building of a subtle but relentless shivering racing across his skin. What he would have given for a shirt…However, his train of thought was quickly brought to an end as the pale man slid the papers back into the envelope and callously tossed the thing aside, a broad, twisted, smile on his face.

"I'm impressed, Kabuto," Orochimaru said with disarming warmth, "I hadn't expected you to make it in the four day time period, but that you brought that particular envelope back proves to me that you did."

Kabuto's face paled at the other's casually spoken statement. "_That_ envelope? Are you saying there were _other_ envelopes involved?! That this was some kind of _test_?!" The younger man's voice was rising as he realized what he'd just been put through, his fists clenching tightly at his sides. No! There was no way! He _had_ to be misunderstanding.

Shrugging offhandedly, Orochimaru replied indifferently, "Of course there were, Kabuto. This task had originally been set up as part of Sasuke-kun's training. I wanted to see how quickly he could complete it, and had several of my allies in the Rain village volunteer. For every day that passed, a different envelope would be prepared, holding in it the proper coding to tell me just how many days it took before Sasuke-kun picked it up. However, as you and I had a bit of a disagreement the night prior to the test's beginning, I found a much better use for such a set-up." He laughed shortly, as if he were genuinely amused by the fact that he had just put Kabuto through Hell and back for absolutely nothing. "I didn't expect you to actually manage it in the four days though. You must have gone nonstop."

The light haired man's face flushed once again, but this time out of offended rage. He'd been sent on one of Sasuke's _training missions_?! After all that shit Orochimaru had gone on about the consequences of failure?! Body going rigid with tension, Kabuto snarled through his teeth. "I ran, for _four straight days_ simply for your _amusement_?! How could you _do_ that to me?! Why do you insist on treating me like I'm some sort of pitiful child?!"

"How could I do it, Kabuto?" Orochimaru returned with his own low hiss, the humor fading from his smile and eyes, "How could I _not_? You attacked me, you stupid boy! And I do not tolerate such foolishness from my subordinates! You should be grateful that I didn't kill you on the spot for such ignorance!"

Kabuto choked on his words and anger for a moment, irritably tossing some of his still damp hair out of his face to solidly meet his master's eyes. "I was merely proving a point, Lord Orochimaru! I won't be treated like a pawn or a tool. I am a _person_, damn it! And one that's pledged more loyalty than any other in your entire village!" Despite his fury, the medic couldn't drop the habitual respect he paid Orochimaru. In the end, the San'nin was still his leader. And something deep inside the boy refused to let him forget that.

The snake lord snarled dangerously and lashed out, catching Kabuto by the throat, holding just tight enough to threaten the other. His golden eyes narrowed dangerously, his voice dropping to a venomous growl. "Don't take that tone with me, _boy_," Orochimaru sneered warningly, "Your loyalty has come into question of late, particularly with this disgusting change in your attitude."

"_My_ attitude?!" Kabuto practically demanded, "What about _your's_?! For some unfathomable reason, you've been running me ragged. It's been nonstop missions for nearly three weeks now! Half of which you could easily assign to any of your other 'subordinates'! Why am I suddenly the only one you want doing anything?!"

Bringing his free hand up violently, Orochimaru slapped Kabuto across the face without hesitation, the hand on the boy's throat preventing the medic from crying out as harshly as he could have. The sound rang out through the room, echoing off of the stone walls. "Who are you to question me?!" the snake lord snapped viciously, "You are _my _right-hand man, Kabuto, not the other way around! I have no reason, nor need to explain myself to the likes of _you_!"

A defiant glare met Orochimaru's attack and words, the oto'nin breathing unevenly, fists still clenched tightly at his sides as his own dark eyes narrowed furiously against Orochimaru's irate golden stare. "If you want me to act like your right-hand man, then I suggest you start _treating _me as such!" Kabuto had never made such open demands of his master before, had never even thought of yelling at the older man like this. Yet, he found himself backed in a corner, needing to defend himself against the other's constant scrutiny and criticism. He wanted the San'nin to respect him as an individual. And if that meant he would have to take a hit or two, then that's what he would do.

"_Start_?! How blind are you, Kabuto?! I let you in my personal chambers; you are the only medic in this whole damned compound who's allowed to touch me; I see to it that you accompany me to every meeting that I'm expected to appear at, even if you make me _late_; and you're still alive after talking to me in such a manner! How much more do you want from me?! Would you like me to start catering to you now?!" Orochimaru had clearly lost all patience with the boy, his fury from all those days ago returning full force. Kabuto had never seen him so riled up; not since the incident with the Third. And that this all too dangerous ferocity was directed at him sent a cold shiver down the medic's spine.

"I want your respect!" Kabuto choked out past the tightening hand on his throat, tears of both frustration and pain stinging at the corners of his eyes, "I want you to acknowledge me as more than just a tool or another subordinate!"

Silence met Kabuto's words, the only sounds in the otherwise empty room being the rough and aggravated breaths from both men. Neither had looked away from the other, incensed amber eyes meeting offended sable ones. Both were waiting for hesitation, regret, submission. And both were intent on denying the other that satisfaction.

And then, without warning, Orochimaru kissed Kabuto fiercely, growling low in his throat as he forcefully pressed his tongue into the boy's mouth, running the long muscle roughly against the walls of the warm orifice. Kabuto's body tensed, his eyes widened, but he made no move to dislodge his master. Instead, a soft, rumbling, moan escaped his chest and he moved his hands to grab a fist full of the San'nin's robe on either side. The snake lord was being anything but gentle, dominating the medic, his one hand still firmly locked around the younger man's throat while the other dug itself into the oto'nin's shoulder. Orochimaru's long nails bit into Kabuto's skin, drawing out another strangled sound from the smaller man before the older of the two pulled away almost as abruptly as he'd started it.

Orochimaru's eyes still held their earlier malice, his sharply contoured face still adorned with its threatening anger. But now the man's chest was heaving, his breathing heavier from the almost violent kiss. Snarling through his teeth, the San'nin hissed breathlessly, "You want to know _why_ I started sending you away, you petulant little brat? Fine. I needed to get you away from me. You were starting to hold my attention more than usual, and to say that it bothered me would be disgustingly understated. I needed to clear my head. Did you not realize that _I_ was working more?! But you won't _listen to me_! You refuse to follow my orders quietly. You always feel the need to question me." The snake lord's fingers tightened their hold on both the medic's throat and shoulder, both actions drawing a low string of submissive whimpers from the younger man. "You're not a _tool_, Kabuto, nor are you like any of the other fools here who work beneath me. That you would think that way is highly disappointing."

The silver haired oto'nin's mind raced. Orochimaru had been…_avoiding_ him? Had been putting distance between them on purpose? That didn't make sense. For years, the powerful man had told Kabuto that the boy's ability to hold his interest was all that kept him from throwing the medic aside. So, naturally, the younger man had clung to that idea, noting what fascinated his master, what bored him, and what irritated him. He would integrate these things into his actions, over time realizing that he had to change very little of himself to hold Orochimaru's intrigue. But now the man he worked so hard to please was complaining about the very thing he'd once said he appreciated. There really was no pleasing the oddly fickle genius of the San'nin.

However, as Kabuto struggled to say something, anything, in response, he found he could get little more than strangled noises past Orochimaru's constrictive grip around his throat, and he realized that he was beginning to get light headed. This wasn't good. Almost too quickly, the medic brought his hands up to take hold of his master's arm tightly, pleading with his eyes for the other to let him go. Another long moment passed between them before Orochimaru snorted and let his hand fall away. The oto'nin gasped for breath before he could stop himself, shoulders dropping in relief. Gingerly, he touched the sore area, knowing all too well that it would bruise, that there was no doubt an angry red mark on his face where Orochimaru had struck him, and that his twisted master wouldn't want him to heal either.

"Does it hurt, Kabuto?" The snake lord's voice was softer now, the man having clearly calmed himself. Yet there was an uncharacteristic touch of concern in Orochimaru's captivating voice, his anger having been replaced by what seemed like genuine worry, if only fleeting.

Blinking stupidly, Kabuto shook his head, letting his hand fall away from his abused throat. Of course it hurt. But seeing his master act in such an odd manner frightened him slightly, and he wanted the odd hesitation in the usually selfish man's voice gone. "I'm fine, Lord Orochimaru," he reassured, smiling faintly, "You've put me through worse."

Orochimaru scoffed irritably, a frown creasing the otherwise smooth skin of his face. "Such a stupid, stubborn, boy," he reprimanded. Contradicting the scolding lilt in the other's voice though, was the soft touch of pale fingers feathering across Kabuto's wounded cheek, golden eyes holding sable ones captive without having to try. "To think I was beginning to miss you…"

The boy shivered slightly, but it wasn't at the chill temperature of the room against his minimally covered body. His master's words, as odd as they were, were something the younger man had longed to hear for quite some time, regardless of the almost bitterly humorous way they were spoken. Orochimaru had admitted to missing him in his absence, had openly and willingly confirmed that Kabuto meant more than all the other fools in Otogakure.

Sighing softly, the oto'nin let his dark eyes fall shut and he tilted his head into the barely-there caresses. A faint, teasing smile played across his young face. "Perhaps I should make you miss me more often, Lord Orochimaru," he muttered jokingly, "I've never seen you act this way before."

"Don't push your luck, Kabuto," Orochimaru warned, curling his fingers in to trace his nails along the sensitive skin, "I won't always be so forgiving." Despite the man's words, Kabuto could hear the smile that had crept onto his master's face. The older man always had enjoyed the boy's combined sarcasm and submission.

Several moments passed in this way, the sound soft breathing and the subtle shifting of fabric the only things keeping Kabuto grounded before Orochimaru slipped away. The medic opened his eyes, the quick blinking of his eyes the only open demonstration of his surprise and confusion. Why would the snake lord stop? Had he done something wrong? Absently, he adjusted his towel uncomfortably, not quite sure of what to say or do. Nothing like this had passed between the two before, and Kabuto was unsure of how to handle it.

Orochimaru hummed thoughtfully, regarding his personal medic's every movement curiously. Enthralling golden eyes traced over the other's body, analyzing and judging every inch. Instinctively, Kabuto shied away, earning a soft chuckle from the older man. "This is why I had to start sending you away from me, Kabuto," that seductively alluring voice teased softly, "You've grown up far too fast for my liking."

"I-I'm sorry?" Kabuto muttered awkwardly, unable to look at the other when he _knew_ how Orochimaru would be examining him. He wasn't sure of just what the older man meant, but he had a fairly good idea. And it certainly explained why the snake lord had made kissing Kabuto seem so easy.

Sliding back in to stand toe-to-toe with the oto'nin, Orochimaru leaned in to whisper past the younger man's flushed ear. "Oh, don't apologize, my dear Kabuto. It's been far too long since someone has caught my interest like this, and it's a refreshing change of pace."

Kabuto's knees nearly gave out at the words, and he unthinkingly reached out to take hold of his master's shoulders. "And what would you have me do to hold your interest, my lord?" he asked breathily. The younger man could never have imagined this moment in his wildest dreams, and he was simply following along with his body's base instincts, hoping not to disappoint.

The powerful San'nin laughed softly and ran long fingers through Kabuto's cold hair, the thick silver locks just now beginning to dry. "I have several things in mind," he purred softly, "And they all start with you losing that towel."

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_So how many of you hate me right now? XD TOO BAD!! HAHAHAHA!! ....review please?_


	7. Chapter 7

_AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! THERE ARE NO OTHER WORDS TO DESCRIBE HOW I FEEL RIGHT NOW!!!! -sighs- Ok, but seriously, here I am. Done. Completed. THIS IS THE END! THERE WILL BE NO MORE! MWA HAHAHA!! -coughs- Ok...um...moving on._

_First of all, I'd like to start off by APOLOGIZING to all of you. This stupid chapter took me five or six times as long as the others did. Now, normally I'd blame it on school and all the work I'm doing there, but that's hardly valid anymore. I'm taking only three courses, they're not that hard, and I get off early in the afternoon. So what's my excuse? I DON'T HAVE ONE!! All I can do is apologize and beg your forgivness. I fear that it also isn't nearly as good as you're all hoping for. I mean, I took so much time, you'd think it would come out well, right? Ugh. I can only hope. _

_Anyway, time for my end of story shout outs~!! I would first of all like to say, __**HAPPY BIRTHDAY **__to __AngeloftheOdd__. This story started out as your birthday present, and it shall finish that way. I would like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to write this for you, and apologize most of all to you for dragging this out so long. NEXT! I would like to thank the following for sticking with me throughout this whole ordeal: __lovesrainscent__, __Slashmistress Holly__, __Jashin-Desciple-Ayame__, __JigokuShojousRevenge__, __Kakashis-First-Kiss__, __kira-chan's imagination__, __Attila12__, __uberhaxxor of pwnage__, __Nakirel__, __killerdoodlebug__, and __KakashiXIrukaLover__. Thank you all for your constant reviews and support. And thank you to all you readers that I haven't mentioned. This story couldn't have happened without you!! _

_So welcome to chapter 7. This is it. GOOD NIGHT!_

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Kabuto could feel his heart nearly jump up into his throat at the command, his face darkening several shades as he shifted his weight awkwardly. He wanted this, he knew he did. But his mind was racing, struggling to keep up. The medic found himself still having trouble coming to terms with the fact that, all this time, Orochimaru had wanted him as badly as Kabuto had wanted the older man. It was a heady feeling, the thought that someone like him had managed to captivate a God like the snake lord.

Slowly, he let one hand drop from the other's shoulders and brought it to the simple fold of the towel around his waist. His whole body was trembling, his usually unshakable hands worse off than anything else, long fingers twitching in both anticipation and nervousness. He'd have been lying if he'd claimed to have done anything like this before.

"Let me help you," Orochimaru's smooth voice offered, shattering the sexually charged silence between them with its own restrained lust. The hand that had been busy in Kabuto's hair slipped away, tracing deft lines down the younger man's chest before it came to rest on top of the medic's hesitating one. Tangling their fingers together, the San'nin manipulated every gesture, using the oto'nin's own hand for the slowly drawn out removal of the soft cotton towel, dropping it to the floor with little more than a muted gasp from the platinum haired boy. Smiling against Kabuto's face, Orochimaru flicked his tongue out against the shell of the other's ear, muttering hungrily, "Mmm…yes, that's much better."

Kabuto gave a soft whimper as he felt the slick muscle brush past his flushed earlobe, instinctively moving his arms to encircle his master's waist. The feeling of the snake lord's clothing pressed up against his over-sensitive skin caused the medic to shiver, his eyes sliding shut. He was quickly losing all hold on coherent thought, his otherwise logical mind slipping away as a part of him he hadn't known existed came to surface. A very hungry, demanding, part of him. With borderline desperation, Kabuto's talented fingers began to work at Orochimaru's absurd purple belt, working the knot free to have it finally fall satisfyingly to the floor.

The taller man smiled wryly, pulling away just enough to look his right-hand man in the face. As he tilted his head in mock curiosity, stray locks of ebony hair slid across his flawless pale face, enthralling golden eyes peering through as if impossible to obscure. "So impatient, Kabuto," Orochimaru teased, tracing slender fingers down the younger man's spine, clearly enjoying the impulsive and submissive noises he managed to extract from the other. "I'm going to take my time with you."

Groaning low in his throat, Kabuto arched his back, pressing more of his heated body against the older man. Orochimaru's touch was electric, sending sparks of sheer pleasure through every nerve the medic possessed. He could feel the heat pooling in his lower stomach, his sex responding quickly to every caress, every word, every movement. He was rapidly approaching full arousal and the snake lord had barely even done anything yet. Soft, dry sobs tore from him throat, Kabuto clutching pleadingly to the man's robes. He needed something, _anything_, and all the other could do was tease.

Orochimaru lowered his head, nuzzling in against the boy's shoulder, nipping and licking the skin there in fleeting, haphazard kisses. Kabuto responded by tilting his head back, the pleas fading into breathy gasps for more. The snake lord purred his approval, happily attacking the presented skin with the same shameless hunger. Kabuto's toes curled against the floor, his knees threatened to buckle, his jaw fell slack and his eyes were shut tight. This was far too good to be true, and the oto'nin was afraid that should he make a single, unwanted, move, the powerful San'nin would let him go and leave him embarrassed and longing like he had before. And so he contented himself - albeit barely - with merely holding on, tightening his hold around the other as best he could.

Powerful arms swept Kabuto up and off the floor as Orochimaru's mouth hungrily covered the medic's, swallowing the short sound of surprise the younger of the two made. Instinctively, the boy wrapped his legs around his master's waist, his arms having relocated themselves to encircle the snake lord's neck. He could feel the San'nin's mouth on his chest as the kiss was broken off, the older man ravaging the flushed skin with a combination of teeth and tongue. The oto'nin was quickly unhinging, losing all sense of self and control. All that was left of him was a trembling, hyper-sensitive, bundle of hormones, longing for everything and anything the other man would give him.

"Mmm, Kabuto." The exquisite man's lust thickened voice caressed the boy's name like cold, silk, sheets, the sound alone dragging a breathy moan from the medic's tightened throat. That frighteningly long tongue swiped down Kabuto's chest, drawing a slick line across the heated skin. "You're a virgin aren't you?"

The oto'nin nearly stopped breathing, his eyes snapping open to stare at the ceiling. How was he supposed to answer that? He was going on twenty-two years old and he'd never touched another human being, at least not in a way that even came close to this. He'd never felt the desire to before, had thought himself beyond such carnal human properties. But now…now that's all he could think of ever needing from Orochimaru. And the idea of his own inexperience mocked and haunted him. Yet the lilt in his master's question was anything but disappointed. In fact…it sounded almost…pleased.

Swallowing hard, Kabuto took in several deep breaths and leaned forward, nuzzling his face against Orochimaru's. "Y-y-yes, Lord Orochimaru. I…I'm still a virgin." He could feel the heat rising in his face as the words left his lips, brushing past soft strands of black hair. He was surprised the slighter man was still holding them both upright, the medic having wrapped himself around the snake lord with near desperate dependence.

The sound that rumbled from Orochimaru's chest was near predatory satisfaction, and in a surprisingly smooth motion, the snake lord had maneuvered both of them to his large bed, dropping Kabuto almost roughly. His brilliant golden eyes were alight with frightening desire, raking over every inch of the boy's exposed flesh. The medic simply lay there, the heat rising in his face at the other's disarming stare. He felt like he was being devoured, like his master was picking him apart with his gaze alone. Awkwardly, he squirmed and ran a shaky hand through his hair, using the opportunity to finally break eye contact with the other. He still felt more than a little embarrassed over his lack of experience.

A long, tapered hand cupped the inside of Kabuto's right thigh, drawing a sharp and startled sound from the younger man. Orochimaru's fingers were cold as they languidly squeezed and released the firm muscle, slowly moving lower and inadvertently raising the boy's leg from the bed. A low string of whimpers broke through Kabuto's tightened throat as soft lips joined the teasing fingers, tracing feathery soft kisses along the smooth skin.

"Hmm, Kabuto, you taste good." Orochimaru muttered the words between kisses, smoldering golden eyes sliding shut as he nuzzled in against Kabuto's leg. The older man tightened his fingers just above the medic's knee, shifting the younger man's ankle to rest on his shoulder.

Kabuto had turned to look up at his master once more, the sensation of those barely-there kisses sending electric waves of pleasure with each fleeting moment of contact. He wanted to say something, wanted to utter his own praise and thanks, but his mind was lost, any words he could find slipping away as Orochimaru's soft hair brushed against his skin. All he could manage, though, was a low, groan from his tightened chest and the subtle shifting of his hips, all in hopes that Orochimaru would realize just how badly Kabuto needed him. The heat was pooling in his stomach and groin, his sex having already hardened to an almost alarming state. He'd never known the San'nin would have such an immediate effect on him, that he would be so completely at the control and whims of the other's touch.

The pale man laughed breathily at the other's actions, moving his hand to gently take hold of Kabuto's ankle and guide it back down, slowly slipping his fingers away when it rested comfortably on the bed once more. Orochimaru then lowered himself carefully, planting a hand on either side of the medic's face as he straddled the younger man's lap. He leaned in, nudging the heated skin of the other's face with his own, humming soft sounds of approval as Kabuto feathered kisses along porcelain cheeks. The feeling of the snake lord's clothes against his bare skin was driving the oto'nin mad. He wanted to feel Orochimaru, wanted to be able to trace the perfect lines of the other's body with his eyes, memorize every flawless inch. He wanted to know how it would feel to have his master pressed against him, sliding over him, buried inside of him.

Bringing his hands up to tangle in the addicting mass of his master's ebony hair, Kabuto pulled the other down so he could whisper in Orochimaru's ear, flicking his tongue out to hungrily trace the shell of the snake lord's ear. "Ahh…my lord, please. I can't take much more teasing. I want you, _need_ you." He then moved one hand down to take a fist full of the other's robe and shirt, giving a short sound of frustration. "At least take this off. _Please_."

"You are horribly impatient," Orochimaru scolded, the words losing some of their strength from the sharp sound of pleasure he made as the oto'nin teased his ear. He then moved one hand to take hold of Kabuto's hip, stilling the younger man's writhing body, the other tangling into Kabuto's hair. "I want you to remember this, want to make this so damn good for you that you never even _consider_ another." The San'nin easily prevented the other from responding to his promise, sealing his mouth against Kabuto's in an almost forceful kiss, pressing his tongue in to stroke and taste every inch of the medic's warm orifice.

The possessive tone in his master's voice drew a strangled groan of pleasure from the medic's throat, the sound getting lost in the heat between their mouths. How could Orochimaru even say that? Only the San'nin had ever drawn such reactions and feelings from Kabuto. Only this man could ever make the usually chaste medic willingly throw his clothes to the floor and wrap himself around another body. Yet, at the same time, that the powerful San'nin wanted Kabuto all to himself, that he desired him that much, made the boy's heart skip a beat. He arched off the bed as best he could, pressing more of himself against the other's solid form. He wanted Orochimaru to know just how much he was willing to give him.

Orochimaru broke the kiss off roughly, breathing heavily, a faint color in his cheeks. The medic's heart nearly stopped; he'd done that. He was the cause of his master's beautiful disheveled state. However, Kabuto wasn't given much time to admire the older man's flushed appearance as the snake lord dipped his head down, ravaging the oto'nin's heaving chest with an aggressive combination of teeth and tongue. A sharp cry broke from the younger man's parted lips as his master's mouth closed over one of his hardened nipples. He groaned shamelessly, writhing desperately as that sinfully talented tongue brushed roughly against that sensitive nub. This was torture, every sensation one of pure sexual agony. Every touch, every kiss, practically burned on contact, desire running like fire through his veins. The faint sound of the San'nin's ragged breathing acted like a poison Kabuto couldn't get enough of, fogging his mind and reducing him to little more than a mess of desperate _need_. He'd never felt so helpless; and he loved it.

The snake lord hummed soft sounds of approval at the younger man's reactions, hands moving to trace languidly down the boy's sides as his mouth moved across the span of smooth chest, easily and hungrily finding the other nipple. Kabuto's mind was slipping from him, finding itself caught up in what to think, where to focus. He adored Orochimaru, served him mind and body. That the older man wanted him like this…it was more than he could ask for. It didn't matter to him that this was just sex to the other, didn't matter that this moment of intimacy and total surrender meant more to him than it ever would to Orochimaru. All that mattered to the oto'nin was that his master wanted him.

As Orochimaru continued to kiss, bite, and lick every inch of his flushed chest, the man slid one tapered hand back up the boy's body languidly, soft fingertips tracing through the smooth spots the snake lord's tongue had swiped over. The powerful San'nin was being surprisingly gentle, all things considered, was seeming to make a point of drawing every sensation out for the younger man. And so, when those long fingers gently slid into the medic's mouth, Kabuto hungrily took them in, closing his lips around them. He groaned low in his throat, his tongue sliding over the digits, desperately and liberally coating them with all he could. He could hear the older man's soft chuckle, no doubt as a result of the submissive mannerisms the oto'nin was taking up. After all, the boy was a naturally stubborn and independent individual, acting out with subtle insubordination and backhanded remarks. The snake lord hadn't held this much sway over the younger man's actions since Kabuto was a child.

The long digits were removed abruptly, however, drawing a short, whimpered sound of protest and surprise from the medic's suddenly empty mouth. His own hands, which had been frantically and mindlessly groping his master's body dug into the other's hair, another acquiescent noise falling from Kabuto's slack lips. He was blinking rapidly, his mind racing as he tried to keep up. Orochimaru's mouth was still working wonders on his torso, the man having moved on to kissing along his stomach and hips. For all that the boy was now pulling at the silken ebony strands, the San'nin seemed to take no notice of it, using his own tapered extremities to slowly, if not carefully, maneuver Kabuto's legs. The silver haired boy moaned softly, feeling the other's breath ghosting across his erection, the soft strands of hair brushing against the joint where his leg met his hip. It was all he could do not to buck up, his body craving friction, movement, touch, _anything_.

"P-Please, Lord Orochimaru…" The words were panted, breathy, barely audible. Kabuto couldn't be sure how many times this was now, couldn't be sure if his pleading was even getting him anywhere. But it was all his hazed mind could think of. Did the man want him to _beg_? Hadn't he done that already? God, he was losing all sense of time and place, all sense of anything aside from the immediate, aside from the electric pleasure that raced through him at every touch his master graced him with.

Orochimaru chuckled and flicked his tongue out, swiping it across the boy's stomach. "You are so adorable when you plead with me like that," the older man teased, nipping at the tight muscle. "I suppose I should stop denying you."

Opening his mouth to thank the man, to let out a sound of relief at the other's admission to stop this agonizing teasing, Kabuto wound up, instead, crying out sharply. A combination of surprise and burning pleasure stained his voice, his whole body bowing against the bed before he pressed his hips down. One of the snake lord's long, crudely lubricated fingers was pressed against his entrance, lightly pushing in past the first tight ring of muscle. The oto'nin practically screamed, biting his lower lip to keep the sound to a minimum. Sparks flew behind his eye as he felt Orochimaru press in deeper, felt the slender digit slide into his body. The younger man could swear he felt something snap, felt a part of his very life torn from his body with every subtle shift and movement of the San'nin's finger. His chest heaved, his head thrashed on the pillow, his body trembled. If this was how a single finger could feel…A long, low, groan escaped Kabuto's slack jaw, a shudder of anticipation rolling through him like a cold wave.

As soon as his body relaxed, grew accustomed to the feeling of the invading finger, a second one was pressed in unexpectedly, stretching and probing deeper into the young man's wanton body. The feeling drew another sharp, uncontrolled cry from Kabuto's tightened chest, his hands moving to the bed sheets beneath them to keep from tearing out his master's hair. He writhed and begged for more, desperately panting and gasping. At this rate, there was no way he was going to last long enough to get what he really wanted. The young oto'nin had only lasted as long as he had thanks to his medical chakra's control over his body. But that was quickly slipping, alongside any logical thought in his mind. It was far too tempting to simply hand himself over to the experienced control his master was so happily demonstrating.

A low, feral growl rumbled from Orochimaru's chest, the man sitting up from where he'd been nuzzling against the boy's stomach. Kabuto could feel those golden eyes on his body, could practically feel the heated desire and lust that would be captured there. And he wanted to see it. Lifting his head as best he could, the medic managed to get his dark eyes open, staring up and meeting a nearly predatorily possessive stare. The sexual tension and overwhelming sense of need for one another seemed to peak at the eye contact and Orochimaru added a third finger, earning a hoarse, dry sob of a cry from the younger man as he proceeded to remove his pants with his free hand.

Kabuto blearily watched the San'nin fumble with his pants, watched the older man's broad smile as he succeeded with the harried removal of his own clothing. The medic's breath hitched in his throat as his hungry eyes fell upon Orochimaru's impressive engorged member. Yes, he'd seen the man naked before, but seeing the object of his obsession naked and _aroused_ was a whole different experience. A much, much, better one. The silver haired boy gave a soft, pleading whimper, his mind battling with itself over where to focus. He could still feel Orochimaru's wonderful fingers pressing and stretching him, every shift tearing another frenzied sound from the boy's lips. But at the same time, he wanted to focus on his master's freshly exposed skin, wanted to _touch_.

However, just as Kabuto had worked up the sense of will, the appropriate control over his body to even lift one of his hands from the bed, all his motions were ceased once more. Orochimaru had wrapped his own free hand around his daunting erection, long pale fingers tightening around and stroking the thick organ. The medic swore his heart stopped. His master was…touching himself? A low, strangled groan broke past Kabuto's lips at the sight, his body still arching and writhing under the other's fingers' movements.

"Mmn…so beautiful, Kabuto." The words were little more than a breathy exhalation, the man's tapered hand slowly beginning to work the hardened flesh over, stroking the shaft, eliciting rumbled sounds of pleasure from his own body. Those long fingers worked with what seemed like practiced ease, sliding and caressing in languid movements.

Kabuto couldn't take anymore, the combination of sensations bombarding him snapping his control like a twig. As Orochimaru's fingers brushed against his prostate, as he watched the man's thumb rub across the head of that stunning cock, the oto'nin's whole body snapped upwards. A rush of heat swept through his veins as his first orgasm tore his body apart. The sound that had escaped his tightening throat was nothing short of a scream of unrestrained carnality, the angle that his body bowed up at nearly unreasonable. His whole, slender, frame trembled, his master's probing digits dragging the boy's release out for what seemed like an agonizing amount of time.

He came down from the feeling slowly, his mind a dull haze, muting the world around him as if a pillow was being held over his face. Long, whimpered strings of broken praise and muttered affections fell from Kabuto's parted lips, his body still twitching and shifting, Orochimaru yet to pull out of him. As the medic's body hummed, his mind drifting absently, it dawned on him that his master was still sitting there, hard and fondling his own erection. Heat ran through the boy's body full force, his mind settling on the resolution of recovering enough to please the older man. More than once, the oto'nin found himself thankful for his prodigal skills as a medical ninja.

Propping himself up on his elbows, his weight seeming almost leaden and causing his arms to shake at the exertion, Kabuto fixed pleading dark eyes on hooded, lust fogged golden ones. He licked his lips absently, shifting his weight enough to be able to reach out, wrapping his own hand around Orochimaru's. The snake lord looked at the boy in mild confusion, the steady motions having been ceased by a gentle squeeze. Smiling faintly, the smaller man breathed his words quietly, barely audible due to the hoarse condition of his throat. "I want you inside of me, Lord Orochimaru. Please…make me your's."

The man in question groaned shamelessly at the other's submissive posture, at the softly pleading tone. Forcing Kabuto back onto to the bed, the snake lord sealed his mouth to the younger man's, their tongues sliding languidly but hungrily against one another. Orochimaru moved his hands back to the medic's body, tracing over every subtle curve and contour, devotedly committing it all to memory. With his hips, the older man rubbed his throbbing erection against the boy's inner thigh, the whimpered sound of subservience caught up between their mouths.

Orochimaru broke off shortly, panting softly and running his tongue along his own lips, eyes locked on Kabuto's. The man smiled slowly, rapaciously, humming under his breath. Eventually, he leaned back in, nipping and worrying the younger man's ear with his teeth, muttering his words between ragged kisses. "I'm going to take you as I am now. I'm going to drive into you hard and fast. I want to hear you scream again, Kabuto."

His master's silken voice brushing past his ear, the exquisite feeling of the man's teeth and lips, combined with the direct and honest words went straight through Kabuto's body, settling in his already hardening sex. Why did Orochimaru have such effects on him? Why was he so easily aroused by the man's simple, delicious promises? No one had ever prompted such reactions from the medic before, not even those who would openly try. Only the San'nin held this kind of power over his mind, his body, and he couldn't help but wonder if he was somehow caught under another form of spell after Sasori's, charmed by the serpent itself.

However, as Orochimaru wrapped one slender hand around the boy's thigh, lifting it off the bed in means of preparation, there came a loud, demanding knock at the San'nin's door, an all too familiar voice snapping irritably. It was Sasuke. The stupid Uchiha had chosen _now_ of all times to come and bitch about needing his training. Kabuto swore under his breath, moving to wrap his legs around his master's hips in an attempt to keep the older man there when the San'nin had curtly brushed him off. The fury captured in those golden eyes cautioned the medic against trying again, causing the younger man to fall still on the bed.

"…the Hell have you been?!" the impertinent boy's voice snapped from behind the twin wooden doors, fist still pounding against them. "You said you'd train me, you bastard!! You're already two hours late!! Do you want the Sharingan or not?! I can go elsewhere you know!"

And so the ranting carried on, earning a frustrated and irate growl from the snake lord. Without even bothering to slip his pants back on, storming over to the door in nothing more than the off-white portion and deep green turtleneck of his usual clothes. Before he pulled the double doors open, however, the snake lord paused and looked over his shoulder at Kabuto, regarding the flustered medic curiously. A wry smile spread across the San'nin's stunning face and he licked his lips, purring under his breath, mouthing words that the boy understood all too well. "_Touch yourself_."

Kabuto's face flushed at the barely spoken command, debating with himself as to whether it was really the right thing to do when Orochimaru had given him the most pointed and smoldering look the medic had ever seen. Groaning softly, the boy brought a hand down along his body, fingertips brushing against the flesh of his own hardened member. He tossed his head back at the sensation. Why had he never done this before? It felt so damn good…No wonder people spoke so highly of sex.

Across the room, the oto'nin heard Orochimaru throw the doors open, could hear the Uchiha's voice clearer without the large slabs of wood between the brat and his ears. In spite of this, the words that Sasuke had been shouting died almost immediately, the irritable punk reduced to stammering and sputtering out pathetically. This had clearly not been what Sasuke had been expecting.

"What did you want, Sasuke-kun?" The San'nin's voice was level, nonplussed, the man clearly taking a dark sense of pleasure from the boy's flailing countenance. "I was in the middle of something."

Kabuto almost wished his could muster the state of mind and strength of will to look up, to see the horror that was no doubt plastered across the Uchiha's face. What he wouldn't have given to see the boy broken and flustered, lost for words and finally put in his place. But the effort that he was putting in to following Orochimaru's orders, to steadily and teasingly touch himself, was successfully occupying all functioning corners of his mind. All save for his desperate desire to at least _listen_.

The boy seemed to be struggling to find the words, broken sounds and choked off syllables all he could seemingly muster. And then, in a sudden burst of indignity and disgust, Sasuke snapped out with clipped fury, "You two are SICK!!" The outburst was followed shortly after by the loud slamming of the doors and his master's quiet laughter, the man's frustration having clearly died at the flustered way Sasuke had reacted.

The soft sound of Orochimaru padding across the floor and back over to the bed caused Kabuto to finally raise his eyes, meeting the snake lord's hooded gaze. He moved to still his hand, to cease in his own toying with himself, when the San'nin shook his head. That feral smile was still firmly on the stunning face, the hunger still evident in those captivating eyes. He was watching Kabuto, just as he had been earlier, wordlessly dictating that the boy continue in his ministrations.

Groaning softly, the medic slipped his eyes shut, let his head fall back against the bed, and continued to feather his fingers along his own erection. It felt odd, playing the exhibitionist for his master. He'd always been the one to watch before, the one to monitor the base's occupants, the movements, the goings on. But now, under Orochimaru's direction, he was displaying himself, opening himself to the other's consuming gaze. The thought made him burn.

"Ah, Kabuto, stop." Orochimaru's normally smooth voice seemed harsher, seemed to catch in his throat as he uttered the short command. And when the medic glanced up towards the other man, he was surprised to find his master skinning out of his remaining clothing quickly, tossing it aside before crawling up onto the bed. Brushing his lips against the younger man's teasingly, the snake lord smiled almost absently. "You are far too tempting," he scolded mockingly before sealing his mouth to Kabuto's.

The boy arched up sharply, pressing his body against Orochimaru's and nearly losing himself in the feeling of that smooth porcelain skin against his own heated flesh. The man was like a marble statue come to life, the image of a God carved in stone and gracing the world of the living with his presence. And yet the faint heat Kabuto could feel as his hands desperately groped his master's body clearly told him otherwise. The San'nin was human; he was simply divine at the same time.

A low, rumbling sound of pleasure and desire rose from the San'nin's chest, sending tremors of anticipation through the medic's body. Something had changed, if only a touch, since Sasuke's interruption. Orochimaru seemed more demanding, more eager, almost desperate. As the thoughts were crossing the young oto'nin's mind, though, the snake lord wrapped his arms around the boy's middle and flipped him over, burying his face in against the back of Kabuto's neck. The pale man shifted his hips, rubbing his daunting erection against the boy's rear, earning a soft, submissive, sound from the younger man.

Kabuto could barely take it anymore, his head already spinning and Orochimaru was just moving against him. Pressing his hips back against his master's, the medic panted heavily, his words falling distractedly from his slack lips. "P-Please, my lord, I _need_ you. Have to feel you - _unn_ - i-inside of me. _Please_!" He could feel tears of desperation pricking at the corners of his eyes, could feel his body trembling. If the snake lord stopped now, the oto'nin was sure he would die.

Chuckling darkly against the boy's shoulder, Orochimaru moved his hands to take hold of Kabuto's hips, fingers tightening until the nails bit into the young flesh. The San'nin didn't say anything, didn't utter a single word. He simply nudged the medic's legs further apart, feathering light kisses across the smaller man's shoulder and neck before driving himself into the tight confines of Kabuto's body. A sharp cry broke the air, the sound easily hiding the snake lord's strangled sound of pleasure. Orochimaru pressed in slowly, the man's lips moving in comforting gestures as the younger man trembled under the foreign sensation. As he pressed in to the base, filling Kabuto completely, the snake lord took a pause, letting out his own shaky exhalation as he felt the boy's tight body wrapped around him.

"Lord Orochimaru," the flushed oto'nin cried out hoarsely, "Please, _move_! I…I'm not going to…God, you're so hard!"

The San'nin growled fiercely, the other's frenzied pleas and dry sobs causing his erection to throb with its own painful need. He'd been holding out, had been dragging this out for the boy as it was his beautiful medic's first time, but with the younger man begging so desperately…Another sound that was more animal than human brushed past Kabuto's flushed ear and Orochimaru began to move, pulling out until only the thick head of his erection remained buried inside the tight ring of muscle before thrusting himself back in. The pace began slowly, gradually, both men growing accustomed to the new feeling of the other. However, the snake lord was quickly losing all hold on coherent thought, and his hips soon took up a fierce pounding against the other.

Kabuto was forced to put one hand out against the wall, steadying himself as his body was rocked and impaled, sharp cries and moans falling shamelessly from his lips at every thrust. With every demanding stroke, the boy saw sparks behind his eyes, his heart pounding loudly in his ears, practically drowning out all other sounds around them. It felt too good, felt overwhelming. Kabuto's word had been narrowed down to the single point of contact, his entire being focused solely on the feeling of Orochimaru moving against him, into him. This was what he'd wanted all along, this feeling of domination, of helplessness, of belonging to his master.

Reaching around Kabuto's waist, one tapered pale hand fisted the boy's weeping sex, pumping it roughly in time with his heated thrusts, dragging another strangled sound from the medic's raw throat. The oto'nin was losing his mind, sweat having slicked across both their bodies. And as Orochimaru shifted his hips, adjusted the angle of penetration in the slightest, the slighter man's head snapped back and he practically screamed, his voice trailing off painfully as his master's vicious thrusts hit his prostate. He came, hard, his whole body shaking violently with the force of it. It took all he had not to collapse forward onto the bed.

Orochimaru finished shortly after the medic, though, riding out his orgasm with a rumbling sound of satisfaction. The feeling of his master's hot seed flooding his body drew another string of sobbed and whimpered sounds of acquiescence from Kabuto's spent body. The two collapsed promptly on the bed, a messy tangle of tired limbs and sweat dampened hair.

"Mmn…L-Lord Orochimaru…" The medic was still panting heavily, his mind still fogged over by the rush of emotions and physical assertion he'd just undergone, but he needed to say something, _anything_. "I…thank you…"

The older man snorted, eyes closed as he lazily wrapped himself around the tired oto'nin. He buried his face in against the sticky silver hair, his ragged breathing coming down easier than Kabuto's. "Will you stop complaining now?" he grumbled irritably, though his voice was now thick with exertion and spent desire.

Kabuto blinked quietly for a moment, not quite sure of just what his master was talking about. Complaining? He'd been…? Oh, right. Laughing hoarsely, the boy curled in against the snake lord, nuzzling his face against the man's chest. "On one condition," he muttered, swallowing heavily in an attempt to get some moisture back in his throat.

"What?" The San'nin sounded unimpressed, tired, but sated. He was clearly humoring the boy, if only for the opportunity to fall asleep.

Smiling and kissing Orochimaru's chest lazily, Kabuto purred softly, "You give me a raise. I don't get paid enough for what I do around here."

Orochimaru grunted and frowned, dislodging Kabuto just enough to look the boy in the face. "You don't get paid at all…"

"I know," the oto'nin quipped, a teasing smile on his face. "But I want a raise."

Rolling his eyes, the snake lord pulled his personal medic and right hand man up against his body, shaking his head and grumbling irritably. "Fine. You can sleep here from now on. Is that good enough for you, you spoiled little brat?"

Kabuto laughed softly, nodding as he settled in more comfortably, allowing exhaustion to wash over his body. "That would be perfect, thank you."

_End_


End file.
